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Mother Mary Aloysia Hartley

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1910

SCTTABETH 8ETON SCHOOL

Nihil Obstat.

THOMAS B. COTTER, Ph. D.,

Censor Deputatus.

Imprimatur.

JOHN M. FARLEY, D.D.,

Archbishop of New York.

August 16, 1910.

:<•;'•

-i"i

INTRODUCTION.

Had the Life of Mother Hardey not been published it
would have been a positive loss for the history of the Cath-
olic Church in the United States, where for more than fifty
years she was such a conspicuous figure. Her biographer
completed the work several years ago, but it was only after
reiterated entreaties and expostulations that the manuscript
was finally put into the hands of the printer.

The Sisters of Charity have shown a keener appreciation of
the advantage of such publications. For they have already
given to the world two excellent Lives of their beloved
Mother Seton, and by so doing have made the Catholics of
the United States their debtors ; for no one can fail to profit
spiritually by the story of such a glorious career. It is,
therefore, a source of sincere satisfaction that side by side
with Elizabeth Seton there should stand to-day her illus-
trious compatriot, Mary Aloysia Hardey. Both were typical
American women; one from the North, the other from the
South ; one who began her life of self-immolation after the
desolation of her widowhood ; the other who was a nun
when she was still a slip of a girl ; one a convert to the
Faith ; the other of a family so intensely Catholic that they
spelled their name Hardey, instead of Hardy, because some
of their kin in Maryland who were known by the latter
name had apostatized from the Faith ; one was the Foun-
dress of a great Congregation; the other was substantially
the Foundress of the Religious of the Sacred Heart in the
United States. At least, to an outside observer, she seems

to have stamped her individuality on the body, and imparted
to it the impulse under which it still works. The lives of
both are not only an inspiration to the devoted religious
who delight to call them Mother, but to people of the world,
Catholic and Protestant alike, who are made happier and
better by the contemplation of the work of these two splen-
did heroines who have done so much for the glory of God
and the good of humanity.

When the Hardeys emigrated from Maryland to Louis-
iana it was to better their worldly fortunes; but in reality
God was leading the favorite of the household, Mary, or
Mary Aloysia, as she was afterwards called, into the arms
of a saint, Mother Duchesne, whom Mother Barat had sent
out to establish the first community of the Society of the
Sacred Heart in America. But not even Mother Duchesne
suspected the future greatness of the little girl who was
among the first five to enter the humble boarding school at
Grand Coteau ; and it is almost startling to be told how two
insignificant and almost ridiculous incidents came near de-
flecting Mary Hardey from the path that God had marked
out for her.

She entered the convent when she was only sixteen
years of age. Mother Barat always spoke of her as " her
first American daughter," though as a matter of fact, a good
lay-sister preceded her as a postulant. Her independent
manner at first worried her superiors. They fancied they
saw what they supposed was the characteristic American
pride ; but in reality no one in the convent had a better sup-
ply of the virtue of humility. Indeed, her superior soon
wrote to Mother Barat that " Madame Aloysia is too per-
fect; I fear she will not live long" — a most uncomfortable
inducement to be virtuous.

vi ' '

She was first appointed Superior at the age of twenty-
three. It was an unusual mark of confidence, and revealed al-
ready her remarkable aptitude for governing ; a difficult task
at any time, but especially in those days when the conven-
tual surroundings were not, as at present, refined and even
elegant, but when food was scarce and when what they
had was coarse and repulsive. Sometimes there was not a
chair to sit on, or a plate to eat from. There was work to
be done in the field, or even the barn and stable, but those
refined and cultured women were as light-hearted and gay
as if all that had been contrived for their amusement. The
only thing that discouraged them at times was the lack of
spiritual guidance, and most of all the absence of the
Blessed Sacrament in their miserable dwellings. Mother
Hardey, however, was always like a ray of sunshine in
the gloom, but never more so than when the Asiatic
cholera was ravaging St. Michael's with its two hundred
inmates. She moved like an angel of light among the sick,
smiling and happy, for death never had any terror for her.

She became Superior in 1836, and until her death in 1886
she was always in posts of authority. Her life was one of
stupendous labor. While providing for the spiritual and
temporal welfare of her children, she was at the same time
off on never-ending journeys, all of which were unavoidable
on account of the establishment of new houses that were
asked for everywhere. Again and again she crossed the
Atlantic, not in the luxurious vessels of to-day, but on the
clumsy, slow-going and often dangerous craft of fifty years
ago. We find her in Europe and Cuba and Canada and far
away in the West, never even thinking of respite or repose.
Her houses of education were built everywhere on a mag-
nificent scale all over this vast continent.

vii

What is most striking in her long Superiorship is the ad-
miring affection which she inspired not only in the hearts
of her spiritual daughters but among people of the world
as well. You meet men and women whose hair has long
since turned gray who will tell you, as if it were a title to
distinction, that they knew Mother Hardey ; but among her
own religious, those especially who had the happiness of
living with her, there is always noticeable a tenderness in
the attachment combined with something like awe, and yet
it is not awe, for no one ever feared to go to her, even if
they were in fault or if the work that had been entrusted
to them had met with disastrous failure. Though in-
variably successful herself, no one knew better than she
how to comfort those who had not been so favored. She
was large minded and considerate, and though to a certain
extent her position as Superior entailed what might be
called isolation, and though the necessities of her office often
called for reproof and reprimand, yet every one was con-
vinced that there was always a large place in her heart for
the humblest and weakest and least equipped, and perhaps
especially for them. In the noblest sense of the word she
was intensely human, and it is very touching to see this
absolutely unworldly and saintly woman, who was always
absorbed in great enterprises, clinging to Mother Barat,
whom she was about to leave, sobbing and weeping like a
child as if her heart would break. No wonder that Rafaela
Donoso, a young Cuban girl who heard that Mother Har-
dey, when in Havana, was in danger of death from yellow
fever, hurried off to the church and offered herself to God
to suffer three days in purgatory if the precious life were
spared. Doubtless many of her daughters had made many
similar oblations for their mother, but they are unrecorded.

via

She was the Assistant of the Mother General in Paris
when she died. That was in 1886. She was buried at Con-
flans, but very few are aware that when a few years ago
the Government expelled the nuns from their convents,
Mother Hardey's American daughters succeeded in having
her venerable remains brought to this country. It was
done very quietly and almost secretly. No doubt many peo-
ple who admired and revered her would have liked to have
paid her some tribute of honor on that occasion, but the
dread of publicity which is the characteristic of her re-
ligious, and which is sometimes carried to lengths that
might seem extreme, prompted them to keep all knowledge
of what they were doing from the world at large. They
buried her on the hill that overlooks her beautiful and be-
loved Kenwood. Around her are her daughters who, like
her, have gone to their reward, some of them unlike her in
the bloom of youth, as the simple crosses on their graves
declare. But none of them, young or old, would want a
better resting place than near her who gave them their great
ideals. Her memory pervades the sacred and silent enclos-
ure ; and if the great ones of the world enter there they will
bend their heads abashed and ashamed as they recall, with
self-reproach, the glorious things that were achieved for
God by this remarkable woman — Mary Aloysia Hardey.

T. J. CAMPBELL, S. J.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION v-ix

CHAPTER. PAGE.

I. — Birth and Childhood of Mary Hardey —

1809-1819 i-io

II. — Origin of the Society of the Sacred Heart

1800 11-14

III. — Foundation of the Society of the Sacred
Heart in America — St. Charles, Mis-
souri— 1818-1821 15-23

IV. — Foundation of Grand Coteau, La. —
School Life of Mary Hardey — 1821-
1825 24-34

V. — Mary Hardey Receives the Religious
Habit — Foundation of St. Michael's,
La. — Madame Hardey Takes Her First
Vows — 1824-1827 35-45

VI. — Death of Madame Hamilton — Council

at St. Michael's — 1827-1833 46-50

VII.— Cholera at St. Michael's— Madame Har-
dey's Profession — Madame Aude's De-
parture for France — Madame Hardey
Appointed Superior — 1833-1836 51-60

VIII. — Madame Hardey's Administration as
Superior — Mother Galitzin Visitatrix
of the American Houses — 1836-1841... 61-72

CHAPTER. PAGE.

IX.— Mother Galitzin Visits St. Michael's—
Foundation in New York — Mother
Hardey Leaves St. Michael's — Death

of Mother Aude — 1841-1842 73-84

X. — Visit to Rome — Retreat at Lyon's — Re-
turn to New York — Foundation in Can-
ada— Death of Mother Galitzin — 1842-

1844 85-102

XL — Transfer of the Academy to Astoria —
Purchase of the Lorillard Estate —

1844-1847 103-114

XII. — Early Days at Manhattanville — Letter
of Bishop Hughes — Day School in New

York — 1847-1849 115-129

XIII. — Foundations at Eden Hall — Halifax —
Buffalo — Ceremonies in the Manhattan-
ville Chapel — 1847-1851 130-142

XIV. — Foundation of the Academy and Orphan-
age in Detroit — Mother Hardey At-
tends the Council of 1851 — Foundation
in Albany — Cholera in Buffalo — Death

of Mother Duchesne — 1851-1852 143-156

XV. — New York Day School — Visit of Mon-
seigneur Bedini, Papal Nuncio — Edify-
ing Deaths — 1852-1853 157-169

XVI. — Foundation in Chile — Troubles in De-
troit— 1853-1854 170-181

X VI L— Foundations : St. John, N. B— Rochester
— London — Sault-au-Recollet — Havana

—1854-1858 182-198

XVIII. — Manhattanville Pupils — Letters of Arch-
bishop Hughes and Mother Barat — So-
journ of the Bishop of Puebla at Man-
hattanville— Foundation at Kenwood —
1858-1860 199-221

xii

CHAPTER. PAGE.

XIX. — Mother Hardey's Visit to Paris— On Her
Return She Visits the Houses of the
Vicariate — Foundation in Montreal —
1860-1861 222-237

XX. — Civil War in the United States — Foun-
dation of Sancto Spiritu — Letters of
Reverend Father Gresselin, S. J., Her
Director— 1861-1864 238-252

XXL— Death of Archbishop Hughes— Eighth
General Council — Death of Mother
Barat— 1864-1867 253-282

XXII. — Difficulties in Havana — Death of Mother
Trincano — Mother Hardey Visits the
Pottowatomie Missions — Attends Re-
treat of Superiors in Paris — 1867- 1869.. 283-295

XXIII. — Foundation in Cincinnati — Mother Har-
dey Resumes the Government of Man-
hattanville— Foundation of Rosecroft,
Maryland — 1869-1871 297-307

XXIV. — Mother Hardey Appointed Assistant
General and Visitatrix of the Convents
of North America — Departure for
France — 1871-1872 308-321

XXV. — Mother Hardey, Assistant General in
Paris — Foundation of Elmhurst, Provi-
dence— Visit to America — Return to
France — Apostolic School — 1872- 1876.. 322-331

XXVI. — Mother Hardey Visits Houses in Spain —
Her Golden Jubilee — Second Visit to
Havana — 1876-1878 332-348

XXVIL— Mother Hardey Charged with the Proba-
tionists — Visit to Belgium — Deaths of
Religious in America — 1878-1880 349-359

Xlll

CHAPTER. PAGE.

XXVIII.— Mother Hardey Visits England and Ire-
land— Superior of the Paris Day
School — Last Visit to America — 1880-

1884 360-371

XXIX. — Characteristic Virtues of Mother Har-
dey 372-382

XXX. — Last Days and Death of Mother Hardey
—Temporary Tomb at Conflans — Final
Interment at Kenwood — 1884-1886. .. .383-401

INDEX 403-405

xiv

ILLUSTRATIONS

Mother Mary Aloysia Hardey Frontispiece

Blessed Madeleine Sophie Barat - - Facing page 16

Tomb of Mother Duchesne and First Con-
vents ----- " " 40

First New York Convent " "80

Old Manhattanville - - - " "120

Eden Hall " "136

Convents on Seventeenth Street and Madi-
son Avenue, New York - - - - " " 160

Detroit, Rochester and Grosse Pointe Con-
vents - - - - - " "184

Mother House, Paris --" " 216

Houses at Atlantic City and Philadelphia " " 248

Maryville, Clifton, St. Charles', and St.

Joseph's Convents ------ " " 296

London, Halifax, Sault-au-Recollet - - - " " 312

Houses in Providence and Boston - - " " 328

Convents in Havana and Porto Rico - - " " 344

Kenwood " " 376

< Mother Hardey's Grave " "400

CHAPTER I.

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF MARY HARDEY.
1809-1819.

As we trace the lineage of Mother Mary Aloysia Hardey,
we turn to one of the brightest pages in the history of
America. It records the eventful day, when, under the
leadership of Leonard Calvert, a company of English Cath-
olics sailed from their native land to lay the foundations of
civil and religious liberty in the New World.

Voluntary exiles from the home of their fathers, rather
than renounce the glorious inheritance of the Catholic
Faith, they broke the ties that bound them to their country
and crossed the seas to find a resting place in the wilds of
America. On the joyful Feast of the Annunciation, 1634,
they landed on the shores of Maryland, and, like Christo-
pher Columbus, took possession of the land, by uplifting the
Cross, the emblem of salvation, under whose peaceful shade
their future home was to be consecrated to the sacred
interests of humanity and the Church.

Among these high souled pilgrims was Nicholas Hardey,
a man of undaunted courage and of unflinching fidelity to
his faith. When Clayborne raised the standard of rebellion
in Maryland, and sought to overthrow the Catholic rule in
the Colony, Nicholas resisted him with all the energy of
his strong character. Having learned, to his dismay, that
a man named Hardy was among the followers of Clayborne,
and fearing to be confounded with this fanatical marauder,
he inserted the letter " e " in his name, declaring that
through succeeding generations it should distinguish his
family from the descendants of the man who had abandoned
the ancient Faith.

Anthony, the grandfather of Mary Hardey, came in
direct line from this loyal son of Mother Church, and was

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

well known in colonial times throughout Maryland and
Virginia. He lived near Alexandria, the home of George
Washington, and was, in his youth, an intimate friend of
the future champion of American independence. The two
boys were of congenial temperaments, both of them light
hearted, gentle and fond of athletic sports.

When in after years Anthony Hardey referred to their
excursions through the woods, or along the banks of the
Potomac, it afforded him pleasure to relate how, in their
feats of strength, he delighted to show his physical superior-
ity, " but not for worlds," he always added, " would I have
harmed my comrade, for I considered him a type of all that
is gentle and manly in youth."

Frederick, the third son of Anthony, inherited the win-
ning qualities of his father. In the year 1800 he married
Sarah Spalding, and made his home in Piscataway, a village
famous in the annals of Maryland. It is situated on Piscat-
away Creek, an arm of the Potomac. It was the very place
where the Colonists planted the Cross when they landed on
the shores of Maryland. Here, Chilomacon, Chief of the
Piscataway Indians, gave the white men a cordial greeting
and bade them share the products of his fields of maize and
the results of his chase. This friendliness was rewarded by
the gift of Faith, for a few years later, 1640, the Chief, with
his wife and daughter, received the Sacrament of Baptism
at the hands of Father White, the Jesuit missionary. It
was an imposing scene, for Governor Calvert and his officers
had traversed the wilderness to greet the red men as breth-
ren in the House of God. A cross was erected at Piscataway
to commemorate the event ; the priests chanted the Litany,
while the Indians, decked out in their bright robes and
gorgeous plumes, followed the Governor and his attendants
in the procession which closed the solemnity.

The lingering traditions of this event, so full of faith
and piety, must have given the spot a special charm for
Frederick William Hardey and his bride, as each had in-

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

herited from a long line of ancestors a deep love for the
Church.

Life opened with fair promise for the young couple,
whose highest pledge of happiness rested in their mutual
love and trust. Nine children were born to them, four sons
and five daughters, but the child of benediction for the
household was Mary, who was destined by God to exercise
so wide an influence in the religious Congregation which
now reveres her memory. She was born on the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception, December 8, 1809, and was bap-
tized Mary in thanksgiving to the Mother of God.

About a year after her birth the homestead was glad-
dened by a visit from Mrs. Hardey's mother, " Good Grand-
mother Spalding," as she was familiarly called. Mrs. Spald-
ing's stay was brief, as there was an epidemic of whooping
cough in the neighborhood, and, fearing that Mary might
catch the disease, she insisted upon taking her and her faith-
ful nurse, Betty Edelin, to Baltimore.

The mother's sacrifice became the grandmother's joy,
for owing to various circumstances the child's sojourn was
indefinitely prolonged.

As Mary advanced in age her beauty enhanced, her large
gray eyes, her symmetrical features, golden hair and intelli-
gent countenance made her the delight of the home. In dis-
position she was playful and active, but unusually thought-
ful fop a child. Her firmness of character and strength of
will, which distinguished her in after life, soon displayed
themselves. There is an amusing instance of it even in her
nursery days which may be worth recalling. One day Mrs.
Spalding presented her with a pair of red shoes ; with quiet,
dignity Mary refused to accept them, saying she did not
like colored shoes. The following day Aunt Betty produced
them again at the morning toilet, but coaxing and threats
were unavailing, the little feet were kept secure beneath the
robe of their ungracious mistress. At length Betty became
indignant, and Mary feigned surrender, but no sooner was

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Ihe shoe partly on than, raising her foot, she tossed it across
the room. Subsequent efforts were equally unsuccessful,
though colored shoes were quite the fashion for children of
that period.

She was six years of age when she returned to her own
home, but she was almost a stranger there, and had to form
acquaintance with her three sisters, two of whom had made
their appearance in the family during her absence. . Until
then she had been the delight of her grandfather and queen
of his home. But conditions were now changed, there were
others to share the paternal caresses, and she felt the in-
trusion keenly. Even in her old age, Mother Hardey often
spoke of the pain which she then experienced. The pene-
trating glance of Mrs. Hardey was quick to perceive this
early sorrow, and she sought every means of insinuating
herself into the affection of her little daughter, until, by
degrees, she gained full possession of her heart.

Mary was a lovable character, yet we cannot paint her
earliest years wholly in bright colors. Occasional out-
bursts of temper revealed in her a passionate nature.
Of a domineering spirit, she often quarreled with her play-
mates, for which she was usually punished by being put in a
corner with her face to the wall, a humiliation which she
felt deeply, often giving vent to her feelings in various
ways. Indeed, it became a subject of family concern when
they saw her strong passions striving for mastery.

The year 1803 is noted in the history of America as the
date of the Louisiana Purchase. When this vast territory
came into the possession of the United States a tide of
emigration flowed steadily for a number of years in the
direction of the Mexican Gulf.

Among the pioneers from Maryland was Mr. Charles
Anthony Hardey, who fixed his residence in Lower Louisi-
ana. His letters to friends at home were filled with praise
of the fertile lands bordering on the Mississippi, their luxuri-
ant growth of cotton and sugar cane, which yield stores of

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

wealth in return for the planter's toil. He urged his brother
Frederick to leave Maryland and come to share his large
plantation in Grand Coteau. The offering was tempting to
parents whose dearest interest was the welfare of their
children. Prince George County afforded them a comfort-
able livelihood, but Louisiana abounded in facilities for
amassing a fortune. Mrs. Spalding did not recoil before the
sacrifice of separation from parents and friends. She per-
suaded her husband to accept the proffered home in the
South, and preparations were at once made for the journey.
Mr. Spalding was generous in providing his daughter with
slaves, money, household furniture, all indeed that was
necessary to begin life amid new scenes. With four little
children, one a tender infant, Mr. and Mrs. Hardey started
on their perilous journey. It is difficult for us to conceive
the hardships of travel a hundred years ago. The journey
which can now be accomplished in a few days, then required
three or four months. It was made in emigrant wagons
across the Alleghany Mountains to Pittsburg, then in flat
boats, or arks, as they were called, down the Mississippi to
New Orleans. In course of time the travelers arrived at
Grand Coteau, but the joyful days of welcome were soon
clouded by an unexpected blow. Mr. Charles Hardey died
after a brief illness, leaving his brother Frederick heir to
his extensive tracts of land.

After some years the Hardey plantation became a sort
of hamlet, comprising the family dwelling, sugar mills, cot-
ton warehouses, granaries, trade shops, and a row of huts,
divided by gardens, known as " Negro Quarters." About
seventy or eighty plantations made up the parish of St.
Landry. They centred round a modest church, whose cross
betokened the faith of those that lived in its holy shadow
and slept their last sleep in the cemetery beneath. At this
period a large plantation presented a wide field for the
exercise of Christian virtues and a great mission for the
women of the South. The Catholics accepted it, and the

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

traditions of the past reveal how nobly many a one fulfilled
her duties in that respect. Life in those southern lands was
almost patriarchal. Hospitality seemed ever waiting at the
threshold. Friends gathered in, rarely for a passing call,
but for a visit of days, even weeks. Whoever the guest
might be — friend or stranger — he was greeted with a hearty
welcome and feasted at the family board.

The welfare of the slave was not overlooked in the re-
sponsible mission of the Southern woman. In the early
morning, at the sound of a bell, the negroes were awakened
for the labors of the day, and in Catholic families it was
customary for them to gather round the master for morning
prayer. The moment was a solemn one, consecrating the
slaves' long hours of toil, — but more solemn still was the
evening hour, when twilight fell upon the scene, and the
whole household grouped around the father of the family,
who lifted up his voice in thanksgiving for the blessings of
the day and in supplication for God's loving care through
the coming night.

It was in sickness that the relationship between master
and slave was seen under its fairest aspect. The care be-
stowed upon the negroes was scarcely less paternal than
the attention given to the children of the master. The in-
stitution of slavery was indeed a dark cloud on the horizon,
yet the unprejudiced mind will acknowledge that the negro's
shackles were not always the fetters of the slave.

When the Act of Emancipation broke their bonds many
of the slaves of the Hardey family clung to their former
master with an affection and devotion which lasted until
death. The home was the primary school of those
days. It was at the family hearth that Mary Hardey
learned her first lessons of faith and piety. Mrs. Hardey
possessed the gift of explaining the truths of religion in a
manner intelligible to the minds and attractive to the hearts
of her children. " My mother was a saint," Mother Hardey
was heard to say in speaking of her early life. " She had

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

pious pictures hanging in every room of the house. We
knew by heart the history of each subject, and, as a reward
for good behavior, we might claim our favorite Madonna
and keep possession of it until our next offence. Reverence
for the priest was a characteristic of the household. When
a missionary chanced to rest under our roof we were taught
to kneel and kiss his hands; 'an honor due thern/ my
mother used to say, ' since they are consecrated hands and
are privileged to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar.' "

To the Christian training of such a mother may be at-
tributed Mary's growth in the knowledge and love of God,
and her devotedness later on in His service. When only
eight years of age she was permitted to receive her First
Holy Communion. She had been attending the Catechism
class with her older sister Anne. Being so young she was
not expected to be ready; but one day the priest asked a
question which none of the other children could answer.
Mary arose and with childlike simplicity gave the explana-
tion. It was proof enough that she was prepared.

A few of Mrs. Hardey's letters to her family in Maryland
have been preserved. They are interesting, because they
give us a clearer insight into her own character, and furnish
us with occasional glimpses of Mary's early life. The fol-
lowing was addressed to her sister, Ellen Spalding, after the
death of her beloved mother :

" OPELOUSAS, LA., July 25, 1820.

" MY DEAR LITTLE SlSTER :

" Your kind letter of the 6th of June came safely to hand,
with the melancholy news of my dear mother's death, news
that I expected to hear, for from the account brother Michael
gave me in his last letter, I could hardly flatter myself
with the hope that she would live through the summer. I
am very sorry to hear of my father's state of health. I
hope he has not lost his speech. You must tell me in your
next letter. Ellen, if it should be the holy will of God to

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

take both your parents, bear it with fortitude and thanks-
giving to Almighty God for His Infinite Goodness in spar-
ing them to you till the age of maturity, and for letting you
have the pleasure of waiting on them in their last moments.
This reflection is enough to comfort you, I think, for it is
the greatest consolation a child may have. My dear sister,
you are not sensible of the loss you have sustained, for you
never have been long separated from your mother; there-
fore you cannot know yet what that trial is. But, my dear
little girl, I can tell you that your loss is irreparable. This
side of the grave no person is like a mother to a girl of your
age. Let my Ellen be ever so prudent, she needs a guide
and counsellor. You cannot be too prudent in regard to
your visiting and your visitors. You are lonely, no doubt,
but you know you are always in good company. When your
earthly friends are obliged to leave you, call on the Holy
names of Jesus, Mary, Joseph — company that will ever re-
main with you, provided you wish to remain with them.
My dear, you may be sure I will do all I can for my dear
mother's soul.

" Answer Anne's letter as soon as you receive it. My
love to all my sisters and brothers. Your devoted sister,

" SALLY HARDEY."

A few months later Mrs. Hardey wrote a second letter
to the same sister :

" OPELOUSAS, LA., December 12, 1820.
" MY DEAR SISTER :

" Your letter of October 2Oth came safe to hand on the
6th of this month. It found us all well except myself. I have
not entirely recovered from my long confinement, which be-
gan the first of October. On that night I introduced a
stranger into the family, a fine, strong, ugly boy, George
Raphael by name.

" So you still have the happiness of waiting on our
afflicted father. Oh ! Ellen, I fear you do not realize the

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

great privilege Almighty God has been pleased to grant you.
Ah ! my dear, if you only knew the grief I experience in
being separated from him you would appreciate your happi-
ness.

" I am very sorry to hear of Uncle Hilary's death, and I
should be glad to have particulars of it. I am truly happy
to hear that one of our good aunts stays with you. I think
they could not please their deceased sister more than by
staying with you in your present state. I hope my Ellen
will be very particular in her visits. Never pay one without
consulting your aunts or your brothers. As your sisters
have families you know they must attend to them, so, of
course, they cannot spend much time with you

" Do mention to father my proposal of having you and
all our family come here after his death."

Under date of December 20, this letter is continued, as
follows :

" MY DEAR SISTER :

" Your letter of November 6th arrived here on the loth of
this month, but I did not receive it until to-day. It con-
tained the news that I expected from your last letter. You
have had time to fortify yourself to bear bravely the death
of one of the best of fathers. I hope you will not grieve
much, for you know that does not help the departed soul.
Prayer is all the comfort we can give him now. I shall
have Mass said for him after Christmas.

" I hope you will consider the welfare of your soul and
body and accept the invitation of a brother and sister, who
think you could do better by coming here than by remaining
where you are.

"My dear, do not think I would send you this invitation
without providing you with an escort upon whom you can
rely, as you could on a father or brother.

"Your nieces all go to school this year; it will soon be
over; then I shall have the pleasure of their company all

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

day. I assure you, Anne and Mary are great company for
me, and also a great assistance. One is a good nurse, the
other a good housekeeper. They had a real trial this fall
when I was sick.

" Ellen, you must take care of the books that our father
procured for the instruction of his children. You must
write to me often and tell my brothers also to write.

" Mr. Hardey joins me in love to you ; my children also ;
they often speak of you. Your affectionate sister,

" SALLY HARDEY."

Up to that time, as we see from the letters, little Mary
was attending the village school and devoting herself to her
home duties, but this happy period of her life was drawing
to a close. An Academy of the Sacred Heart was about to
open its portals to the daughters of Louisiana, and in the de-
signs of God Mary Hardey was to be one of its first pupils.

CHAPTER II.

ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY OF THE SACRED HEART.
1800.

Before relating the history of the Academy which was
about to be established in Louisiana, we shall record briefly
the events which called into existence the Society of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus.

During the last decade of the i8th Century, while Europe
was convulsed by revolutions, a small number of French
priests, who had withdrawn from Germany, formed an as-
sociation, under the title of " Fathers of the Sacred Heart,"
resolving to live together according to the Rule of St. Ig-
natius until, in the providence of God, the Company of Jesus
should be awakened into new life.

Their Superior, Father de Tournely, was a man of faith
and prayer, filled with zeal for the Glory of God and the
salvation of souls. The object dearest to his heart was to
provide means of education for the youth of France, hoping
thereby to raise upon the ruins of the past a generation de-
voted to the service of Christ and the interests of the
Church.

To accomplish this aim, he felt that it would be neces-
sary to found a similar community for women for the train-
ing of the future wives and mothers of France.

He intended that the Heart of Jesus should be the centre
and model of the new congregation, and that it should adopt,
as far as might be practicable, the Rule of St. Ignatius.

Father de Tournely did not live to see the desire of his
heart accomplished. He died on the 9th of July, 1797. Dur-
ing his last illness the only thought of earthly things that
occupied his mind was the society he had planned, and he
often spoke of it to Father Varin. " My friend, you know
all ; I have told you everything. Do not act in a hurry, but
await God's time."

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

These words, spoken a short time before his death,
seemed prophetic: "It will be founded! It will be
founded ! "

Father Varin, who was elected to fill his place as su-
perior of the little Society, was chosen by Providence to
execute his plans. Having gone to Paris a few years later
he received into his community a young priest named Louis
Barat, who was destined to point out to him the future
foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart.

One day Father Varin asked Louis whether any tie
bound him to the world. The young priest answered that
he had a little sister in whom he was much interested.
" These words struck me very forcibly," relates Father
Varin. " I asked her age, what she could do. He replied
that she was between nineteen and twenty, that she had
learned Latin and Greek, that she could translate Homer
and Virgil fluently, and had capacity enough to make a good
rhetorician ; that she had thought of entering a Carmelite
Convent, but just then she was spending some weeks with
her family." This " little sister '' was Madeleine Sophie
Barat. A month later she returned to Paris and was pre-
sented to Father Varin.

He soon perceived in the young girl great simplicity and
humility combined with the highest intellectual gifts.

Father Barat, her only tutor, had accomplished his self-
imposed task with unbounded energy, yet he had not
dreamed that he was training the foundress of a religious
congregation which was destined to exert a vast influence
on Catholic education, not only in France, but in nearly
every country of the Old and New Worlds.

At that time she was living in the house of Madame
Duval, No. 2 rue de Touraine. Associated with her in her
studies and good works was Octavie Bailly, who, like her-
self, was attracted to the religious life ; Mademoiselle Lo-
quet, a very pious and intelligent lady, noted for her talents
and her charitable enterprises, also lived with them.

ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY

Father Varin had recognized in these ladies a vocation to
the religious life, but at first he did not see clearly the will of
God in their regard. They began a course of study under
his direction and enjoyed meanwhile the benefit of his spir-
itual training.

One day he asked Sophie Barat what plans she had
formed for her future. She replied that she felt called to
the religious state, preferably the Order of Carmelites ; as
their life seemed to unite great love for Jesus Christ, with
an heroic spirit of sacrifice.

The answer pleased her director, and at once he unfolded
to her his plans for the institute he intended to found, point-
ing out to her that, in addition to the love and spirit of sacri-
fice required by the Rule of Carmel, it would ask a generous
devotedness for the salvation of souls ; one of its chief ends
being the education of young girls. He then dwelt upon
the educational advantages she had received, representing
that they fitted her in a peculiar manner for this great enter-
prise, so important for the revival of Faith in France. He
concluded by assuring her that she was called by God to
serve Him in this new institute, which was to be devoted
to the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Her humility caused her to shrink from such an under-
taking, but she submitted to Father Varin's decision, and
ere long the little group of friends at Madame Duval's house
was formed into a religious community. They were Sophie
Barat, Octavie Bailly and Mile. Loquet, with Marguerite,
Madame Duval's servant, a pious and earnest soul, who
joined them as lay sister.

On the Feast of the Presentation, 2ist of November,
1800, Mass was celebrated in the little chapel, Rue de Tour-
aine, and the four postulants pronounced their vow of con-
secration to the Sacred Heart.

In the following May, 1801, the first house of the Society
was established at Amiens. The Heart of Jesus blessed
abundantly the work commenced in lowliness and gener-

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

osity of spirit. The ranks of the religious filled rapidly.
Academies were opened in Grenoble, Poitiers, Niort, and
other cities of France, and in 1815 a general novitiate was
founded in Paris, under the direction of Mother Barat,
where, as from a central point, she governed the various
communities of her Institute. The little seed, planted among
the ruins of the revolution, had sprung up into a fruitful
tree, and before eighteen years had elapsed it spread its
branches afar, even to the distant shores of the New World.

CHAPTER III.

FOUNDATION OF THE SOCIETY OF THE SACRED HEART IN
AMERICA — ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI — 1818-1821.

The young- Republic of America, after separating from
the Mother Country, entered at once upon a life of intense
energy, and the Church was not the last to feel the inspira-
tion of freedom. Before the close of the eighteenth century
the Orders of Carmel and the Visitation were established
in the United States. The first decade of the nineteenth
century saw the birth of Mother Seton's Congregation in
Maryland, and about the same time two religious communi-
ties sprang up in the newly settled regions of the far west,
the Lorettines and the Sisters of Nazareth in Kentucky.
A little later came the daughters of St. Dominic. On the
Atlantic Coast, the Ursulines had founded convents in New
York and Boston, but their sojourn in the former city was
of short duration.

When, in 1815, Bishop Dubourg was appointed to the
See of New Orleans, his first care was to provide educational
establishments for the children of his vast diocese. In New
Orleans he found a flourishing Academy conducted by the
Ursulines, but it was insufficient for the increasing growth
of the Catholic population. Hence, when in Paris, he made
application to Mother Barat for a colony of her nuns. The
heart of the foundress responded to his appeal, but her judg-
ment made her hesitate. Her Institute was new, and the
members scarcely sufficed for the work already undertaken.
But when God wills, all obstacles give way. He had been
silently preparing, among the daughters of the Sacred Heart,
an apostle for the American Mission, in the person of
Madame Philippine Duchesne.

This heroic woman was in the Paris convent when the

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Bishop called, and knowing the object of his visit, she be-
sought the Mother General to give a favorable answer.

Her pleadings and representations convinced Mother
Barat that the foreign mission should be accepted, so she
promised the Bishop that she would prepare a little colony
to start for Louisiana in the course of the following Spring.

Mother Duchesne's burning zeal communicated itself to
her sisters, many of whom offered to accompany her, but
three only were chosen.

A brief notice of these pioneers may be of interest to the
reader.

Philippine Duchesne was born in Grenoble, France, on
the 29th of August, 1769. She belonged to a Christian fam-
ily which was noted for strong faith and rare qualities of
mind and heart. From her tenderest years she was trained
in the practice of piety by her mother, who united to a vig-
orous intelligence a deep love for the Church. Vocations to
the religious state seemed inherent in the race of the Du-
chesnes, and for more than a century before the revolution its
representatives had been found in the Community of the
Visitation Convent of Ste. Marie, Grenoble. Philippine was
a pupil in that convent and afterwards took the religious
habit there, but the outbreak of the revolution obliged her
to leave the convent and return to her family. But though
compelled to live in the world by force of circumstances, she
never forgot the sacred vocation to which God called her.
Indeed, the very house where she had been a nun became
the centre of her work, as it was converted into a prison
where the unfortunate victims of the Reign of Terror were
confined, and she, in spite of every obstacle organized an
association for their relief. Nor was she satisfied with that.
For after the evil days had passed away, and the convent
was declared the property of the nation, and its grounds
made a public park, she brought such influence to bear on
the authorities that she succeeded in securing the old place
and endeavored to reunite there the scattered members of

Blessed Madeleine Sophie Barat

FOUNDATION IN AMERICA

her community. But the Sisters that returned soon aban-
doned their vocation and it seemed as if all her efforts were
doomed to failure. But " to them that love God all things
work together unto good." On the very day that her Sisters
turned forever from the cloister of Sainte Marie, she heard
of the Society of the Sacred Heart. At once she felt strong-
ly attracted towards it on account of its two-fold spirit, the
active and the contemplative life, and she entered into ne-
gotiations with Mother Barat. The necessary arrangements
were soon made, and on the I3th of December, 1804, Mother
Barat, accompanied by three nuns, arrived at Sainte Marie
and took possession of it in the name of the Sacred Heart.
Nor was she long in discerning the worth of Madame Du-
chesne, who entered with ardor upon the duties of her new
life. A multitude of good works filled up her days and even
kept her toiling late into the night. But her soul longed for
another field of labor. Her yearnings were all turned to-
wards the foreign missions. To make Jesus known to the
Indian tribes of the New World, to breathe His Name into
their forest wilds, to elevate them by the ennobling influ-
ences of faith, such was the lofty ambition of Madame Du-
chesne.

She mentioned her intentions to Mother Barat, and later
on to Father Varin, who gave them his approval, and made
her happy by the assurance that one day she would extend
the glory of Christ in the far-off regions of America.
Henceforth her life shaped itself upon the hope of soon real-
izing her ardent longings. During the recreation hours, she
spoke to the pupils of the joy of making Christ known in
heathen lands with the rapture of one assured of conquest.
She was wont to conclude by asking: " Who will come with
me?" One of her pupils, writing of those early days at
Sainte Marie, says : " If the ship had been at hand we would
have been ready to follow her to the ends of the earth."
Mother Barat encouraged this vocation, but at the same
time restrained the zeal of her spiritual daughter. She felt

2 17

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

that the accomplishment of this purpose was reserved for a
future day and, in the interval, sought to prepare that apos-
tolic soul for the mission of suffering and love. She was
a valiant guide to a valiant soul, says the historian of Mother
Barat, and wrote singularly prophetic lines to her: "Life
must not be for you a time of enjoyment. Our Lord in-
tends you to be a spouse of blood ! " Under this strong but
loving guidance the apostle was prepared for a career of
heroism. It was only after fourteen years of waiting that
Madame Duchesne's earnest desires were realized.

Madame Octavie Berthold, who accompanied her to
America, was born a Calvinist, and, worse still, her father
had been Voltaire's private secretary. She became a Catho-
lic in her twentieth year, and shortly after entered the new
Society. Her cultivated mind and thorough knowledge of
foreign languages made her very useful in the Paris school,
where her talents and virtue won for her the highest respect
of the pupils. But her work lay beyond the Atlantic, where
she was to sow in tears and suffering the seed destined to
produce a hundredfold for the greater glory of God.

Madame Eugenie Aude, who was chosen by Providence
to take a very active part in establishing the Society of the
Sacred Heart in Louisiana, had been brought up amid the
pleasures of the world in Italy and France, and to detach her
heart from the attractions around her called for a miracle
of grace and love. One night, after returning from a ball,
she stood admiring herself in a mirror, when suddenly she
saw reflected not her image, but the bruised and bleeding
face of the " Ecce Homo." This vision of Christ suffering
touched her inmost soul, and from that moment she deter-
mined to give up the world and consecrate herself entirely
to the service of God. She never wavered in her resolution
and shortly after she stood at the door of Sainte Marie, ask-
ing to be received into the Society of the Sacred Heart. She
entered the Paris Novitiate and advanced rapidly in those
virtues which so admirably distinguished her after life.

FOUNDATION IN AMERICA

While in the Novitiate she learned to know Mother
Barat intimately, and to love her with an affection that
lasted until the end of her life. It was the remembrance of
the " Ecce Homo " that made her joyfully offer herself for
the mission of the Sacred Heart in America.

Two lay Sisters, Catharine Lamarre and Margaret Man-
teau, were chosen to join the little band of missionaries.
They were both of mature age and tried virtue, and their
devoted help was invaluable during the years of hardship
which attended the beginning of the American mission.

The great distance, the perils of the voyage and the
many privations which they knew to be awaiting them only
increased the ardor of these apostolic souls, whose one aim
was to exalt the Kingdom of Christ wherever obedience
called them.

Bishop Dubourg, who had preceded them to America,
wrote from Baltimore to Madame Duchesne : " The voyage
is doubtless a trying one, but women and children make it
constantly in the hope of bettering their condition in life.
Shall not we, with greater zeal, do as much for the glory of
God and the salvation of souls?" The question found a
generous response in the hearts of Mother Duchesne and
her companions. As the time of departure drew near,
Mother Duchesne wrote touching farewells to her family
and friends, and in one of these letters, quoting the words
of a holy servant of God, she wrote : " Since the days of
Abraham to those of Jesus Christ, and from the days of
Jesus Christ to the present time, when God has willed to
call a soul to a higher degree of perfection, He has with-
drawn it from its country, He has detached it from every-
thing, even from the holy sweetness of spiritual friendship."
And in another letter she says : " Think of my happiness
every day ; envy if you like, but do not wish to take it away
from me."

The long desired day of the sacrifice came at last. On
the eve of the departure the whole community assembled to

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

bid the missionaries " God speed " on their perilous journey.

" Mother Barat gathered us around her," wrote Madame
Aude, " and spoke to us in that earnest and touching manner
of the greatness of our vocation and how enviable it was in
the light of faith. She exhorted us to unswerving fidelity
in the observance of our Holy Rule, and then gave to
each one her obedience, naming Mother Duchesne Superior,
with extraordinary powers for the government of the mis-
sion. Finally, with deep emotion, she exclaimed, ' Come, let
us give one another a parting embrace, for you will ever be
my dearest daughters in the Sacred Heart.' We knelt at
her feet, which Mother Duchesne kissed, and while we all
remained silent I saw that our Mother was shedding tears.
They seemed to fall upon my heart."

The day of departure was a day of sacrifice and sublime
holocaust, as also the marriage feast for one of those gener-
ous spouses of Christ, Madame Aude, who made her final
profession.

Writing of her happiness to her Sisters of Quimper, she
said: "What shall I say of the grace I have received? I
now feel it my duty to set no bounds to my sacrifice. Jesus,
in giving me the Cross, has not bestowed it as a mere out-
ward token. His strong and gentle hand has thrust it into
my heart. He makes me feel it by the pain I experience in
leaving you, my beloved Mothers and Sisters, but He makes
me love it, because I know that at the foot of the Cross I
shall obtain for the dear family that adopted me all the gifts
of His love."

Mother Duchesne and her companions were detained
some weeks in Bordeaux, while waiting to embark for
America, and during this trying interval she was encouraged
by letters from Mother Barat, Father Varin and other
friends. The Abbe Perreau wrote : " You may reckon on
a special Divine Protection, for you can say with the
Apostle. ' Lord, we have left all things to follow Thee,
what, therefore, shall we have? ' Listen to His answer. In

FOUNDATION IN AMERICA

return for this great reliance upon Him, He will give you
His Divine Heart as a refuge, His Spirit to guide you and
a few drops from His chalice of suffering to purify you, to
detach you from yourself, to teach you to lean on Him
alone. Oh ! how strong and how sweet is His support ! Go
then courageously where He calls you. You will find Him
everywhere."

On Holy Thursday, which fell that year on the iQth day
of March, the little colony embarked on the sailing ship
Rebecca, and on Holy Saturday a favorable breeze car-
ried them out of port, and before the glad bells rang out
their Easter peals the religious lost sight of the beautiful
land they never expected to see again.

On the 29th of May, which by a striking coincidence
was the Feast of the Sacred Heart, the Rebecca touched the
shores of America, about sixty miles below New Orleans.

Madame Aude's description of their landing presents a
lively picture of the holy joy which filled their hearts.

" When we set foot on that shore, which in the light of
faith is a ' promised land/ we were deeply moved. Mother
Duchesne's heart could not contain its happiness ; kneeling,
she kissed the earth, while her eyes filled with blissful tears.
' No one sees us/ she said ; ' kiss it too.' You would have
rejoiced to see her delight. Her countenance expressed all
the feeling of a heart overflowing with gratitude to God
and consumed with a desire of procuring His glory."

Two priests were awaiting the nuns, with letters from
the Ursulines, offering them hospitality.

Madame Aude gives the following description of the
journey to the convent : " We started at nine o'clock in the
evening, blessing the Heart of Jesus for our safe voyage
across the ocean and offering ourselves to Him anew. The
night was beautiful, the sky cloudless and sparkling with
stars, which were reflected in the peaceful waters of the
Mississippi, along whose banks we drove. Everything
seemed to raise our hearts to God."

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

About four in the morning the party arrived at the con-
vent, and were received by the Ursulines with the most
cordial Christian charity and every demonstration of sis-
terly joy.

Full of gratitude for their kindness, Mother Duchesne
wrote : " This house is like one of our own convents, no-
where could we have met with more affectionate hospitality.
These good nuns provide us with everything. Mothers
could not do more for their children."

As soon as Bishop Dubourg heard of Mother Duchesne's
arrival he sent her from St. Louis a letter full of encourage-
ment and welcome, but, by some strange chance, six months
elapsed before the greeting was received, and meantime
Mother Duchesne was anxiously waiting and wondering at
the Bishop's prolonged silence. Finally, hearing that he was
expecting her in St. Louis, she determined to go thither.
" Four hundred leagues," she wrote, " seem very little when
one has traveled thousands, and to ascend a quiet river is
only a pleasure, after encountering the ocean and its
storms."

Having taken leave of the devoted Ursulines, Mother
Duchesne and her companions embarked on the steamer
Franklin, which was to convey them to St. Louis. In
those days, when steam navigation was in its infancy, mis-
haps were many and adventures often thrilling, but nothing
could disturb the peaceful occupations of the nuns. In the
narrow cabin, where seventeen persons were closely
packed, they prayed, meditated, studied English meantime,
while the steamer ploughed its way up the great river, whose
broad expanse of water, sparkling in the sunshine or sleep-
ing in the moonlight, overshadowed on both sides by the
foliage of a primeval forest, presented a scene both grand
and picturesque.

On the 2ist of August, 1818, the Franklin reached St.
Louis, after a voyage of forty-two days.

Mother Duchesne hastened to the Bishop's residence and

FOUNDATION IN AMERICA

found him eagerly awaiting her arrival. The aspect of the
dwelling, a sort of barn, offered a vivid presage of what the
religious might expect in their new mission. One apart-
ment served for dormitory, dining room and study for him-
self and four or five priests. It was the poverty of the early
ages of the Church, but with it was the heroism of those
same times.

In writing, later on, of the obstacles to the success of
their work, Mother Duchesne says : " Shall I tell you what
urges me on? It is the example of the saintly clergy of this
country, men like Monseigneur Flaget, Bishop of Bards-
town, or Mgr. Cheverus, Bishop of Boston, and, above all,
our own devoted prelate, who makes himself all to all, work-
ing incessantly for the good of his people. He has many
trials, but how great he is in the midst of them."

The location selected by Bishop Dubourg for the new
foundation was at St. Charles, on the Missouri River. The
town was small, and the house provided for the nuns was
poorly adapted for school purposes.

The Bishop intimated that their residence was only tem-
porary. " You can stay there for the present," he said to
Mother Duchesne, " until we decide upon your future des-
tination. We must till the soil before we begin to plant.
You and I will have to spend our lives in this ungrateful
labor ; our successors will reap where we have sown, but we
must be satisfied to look to heaven for our reward."

The religious soon discovered that a mistake had been
made in the place selected for them. After a year's resi-
dence in St. Charles they removed to Florissant, fifteen
miles from St. Louis.

Here the school became more prosperous. The follow-
ing year a Novitiate was established, and Mother Duchesne
wrote that five of their most promising pupils were among
the first novices received.

CHAPTER IV.

FOUNDATION OF GRAND COTEAU, LA. — SCHOOL LIFE OF
MARY HARDEY — 1821-1825.

During one of his pastoral visits to lower Louisiana,
Bishop Dubourg met a wealthy Catholic lady, who made
known to him her desire of establishing a convent for the
education of young girls. Her husband, Mr. Charles Smith,
a relative of the Hardey family, had left Maryland in 1803,
to make his home in Louisiana.

Having settled in Opelousas, he and his wife devoted
themselves to the welfare of Catholicity in that section of
the country.

After building a church, their piety fostered another gen-
erous aspiration, that of founding houses of education for
both boys and girls.

Mr. Smith died before his plans could be carried into
effect, but his widow gave her time and her fortune to their
accomplishment. One of her plans was the establishment
of a school at Grand Coteau, which was the home of Mary
Hardey.

The Bishop entered heartily into the views of this esti-
mable lady, and suggested the Religious of the Sacred Heart
as well fitted to respond to her designs.

The proposal for this foundation was in due time ac-
cepted by Mother Barat, and the charge of organizing it was
entrusted to Madame Aude. Sister Layton, the first lay-
sister postulant received in America, was to be her only
companion until the arrival of the nuns whom Mother Barat
had promised to send from France.

Despite the poverty of her house at Florissant, Mother
Duchesne insisted upon giving the sum of one hundred
dollars for their immediate needs, especially for the furnish-

FOUNDATION IN LOUISIANA

ing of the chapel. The Bishop also bestowed upon them
whatever he could spare from his own scanty resources.

On the 5th of August, 1821, Madame Aude and her com-
panion embarked on the steamer Rapid, but twenty
days elapsed before they reached Grand Coteau, where they
were cordially welcomed by Mrs. Smith, who gave them the
hospitality of her own home until their house was com-
pleted. It was a frame building, fifty-five feet square, with
a veranda covered with luxuriant vines. There was an en-
trance court, shaded by beautiful trees, and a large orchard
which was to serve as a playground for the children. The
kitchen, dining room and infirmaries were small buildings
of one story each.

Madame Aude took possession of the house before it was
finished, and began at once the preparations for the opening
of the school.

In the beginning of October five pupils were received,
one of whom was Mary Hardey. There had been question
of sending her to Emmitsburg, with her elder sister, Ann,
and her three cousins, the daughters of Mr. Raphael Smith,
but her delicate health furnished a strong plea for keeping
her nearer home, and it was decided to place her under
Mother Aude's care.

Mr. Hardey became a true friend and benefactor to the
convent.

We gather from the correspondence of those days, that
he frequently sent provisions and gave them also the serv-
ices of his slaves when needed. But his greatest gift to the
Society of the Sacred Heart was undoubtedly that of his
beloved daughter, who became one of its brightest orna-
ments and strongest supports in America.

The work which fell to the willing hands of Mother Aude
and Sister Layton may be easier imagined than described.
But never was burden more cheerfully borne or tasks more
joyfully accomplished.

Bishop Dubourg took great interest in all their concerns.

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

In one of his visits he playfully asked Mother Aude if it
was at the Court of Napoleon she had learned to milk the
cows.

But domestic labors were not the only trials which
Mother Aude had to bear. Privations, deeply felt because
she could not always prevent the pupils from sharing them,
formed a large part of her solicitude. In one of her letters
to Mother Barat she writes : " Flour is so scarce that I was
on the point of giving the children potatoes in place of
bread, when Mrs. Smith sent us several loaves which I
received as a great treasure, and the Heart of Jesus, know-
ing our needs, inspired Mr. Hardey to send us a barrel of
flour.

" We have only six chairs, which we are obliged to carry
from one place to another, but we have a supply of kitchen
and table utensils, benches and desks."

Mother Barat was keenly alive to the wants of the foun-
dation. In a letter dated November 23d she wrote : " Many of
our Sisters long to go to you, but before we can spare them
others must be trained to fill their places. Two only will
leave us to join you." These two missionaries were Madame
Lucile Mathevon and Madame Xavier Murphy, an Irish
lady, who was then in the Paris Novitiate.

Of the latter, Mother Barat wrote to Mother Duchesne :
'' Madame Murphy is about thirty years of age, and she will
be very useful to Mother Eugenie for her school. The char-
acter of the Irish is very like our own. This dear Sister is
pleasing and amiable in manner, and nothing is an effort in
the fulfillment of her vocation."

At the time of her departure for Louisiana Madame Mur-
phy took the name of Xavier, in honor of the great saint,
whose apostolic example she longed to imitate. Full of joy-
ous enthusiasm, she left France on the 7th of December, the
first Friday of the month, a circumstance which she did not
fail to note, as a proof the voyage would be under the special
protection of the Sacred Heart. " Every one on board the

FOUNDATION IN LOUISIANA

vessel was seasick, myself included," she wrote to Mother
Barat, " but not for one moment was I afraid. Madame
Mathevon seemed to be in constant dread of death, and at
times I found it hard to keep from laughing at her exclama-
tions. During a rather severe storm, thinking herself on
the point of being lost, she jumped from her berth and,
stretching out her arms like Moses, cried aloud for mercy.
Alas ! I was too much overcome by sleep to take the place
of Aaron. You should have seen the terror of the passengers
on hearing of the approach of pirates. All hastened to hide
their money and valuables. I smiled at their fright. Do
you know, dear Mother, why I was so tranquil? It was
because I felt sure of the protection of our Good Master.
Why should a daughter of the Sacred Heart be afraid?
They said I was a fine sailor, but they little knew what sus-
tained me during the voyage."

The vessel arrived at New Orleans on the Feast of the
Purification, and Madame Xavier looked for the first time
upon the land of her adoption. She had expected this sight
to bring her an intense joy, and that she could exclaim with
holy Simeon, " Now, O Lord, Thou dost dismiss Thy serv-
ant in peace for my heart's desire is fulfilled," but just the
contrary happened. " All at once," she wrote to Mother
Barat, " the friends that I had left in Europe loomed up be-
fore me, and my heart fell, like the weights of a clock. How-
ever, I asked Our Lord to strengthen me, and I begged the
Blessed Virgin to offer me, even as she had offered her
Divine Son to the Eternal Father on that day. Occupied
with these thoughts I arrived at the Ursuline Convent. As
the Bishop was in the house we were at once presented to
him. I never met any one with whom I felt so readily at
my ease. ' My Lord/ I said, ' I am come from France, but
first of all from Ireland, to be your obedient daughter. Do
with me as you wish, I do not care where I go, provided I
am in America.' "

Early in April Madame Murphy reached Grand Coteau.

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

In May she had the happiness of pronouncing her first
vows, and, filled with the joy of this first consecration to
God, she entered upon the duties of her new mission with all
the ardor of her generous nature.

After some months of excessive labor she was stricken
with a severe illness. Mother Aude nursed her with mater-
nal tenderness which deeply touched the heart of her
spiritual daughter, and won her confidence and lasting
gratitude.

While yet a novice in Paris, this fervent religious had
written of herself to her former teachers, the Ursulines of
Blackrock : " I am the last and least in this house. I am of
use only to Almighty God, who is pleased to show forth
His power in His weakest creatures." The same spirit of
humility and childlike simplicity gave a marked character
to her whole religious life. In writing of her to Mother
Barat, Mother Aude says: "Sister Xavier appears to be a
strong soul, full of faith, and it is souls of this stamp that
are needed here."

Such was the religious who assisted Mother Aude in the
school at Grand Coteau, and shared with her the honor of
training the mind and heart of Mary Hardey.

We have few details of Mary's schooldays, but a diary
kept by Madame Xavier gives us a record of current events,
and consequently of the influences that surrounded her con-
vent life. After informing Mother Barat that she had
already sent her the journal of the month of April, Madame
Xavier goes on to say : " On the feast of Corpus Christi we
had a procession at which several seculars assisted. It was
the first of the kind ever witnessed here. A repository was
prettily arranged in the barn, and the Blessed Sacrament
was exposed all day in our little chapel. But our joy was
yet greater on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, for on that
day Madame Gerard received the religious habit and Sister
Layton took her first vows. The chaplain said a few
words appropriate to the occasion ; Mother Aude and I re-

FOUNDATION IN LOUISIANA

nevved our vows in union with all our dear Society. The
Blessed Sacrament was exposed all day, and after benedic-
tion in the evening our pupils sang a canticle to the Sacred
Heart, so soul inspiring that priest and nuns joined in the
singing."

A spiritual fast followed the delights of that day. The
chaplain went away, leaving them, as Madame Xavier ex-
pressed it, " like the daughters of Jerusalem without priest
or sacrifice."

This privation continued until the Feast of Saint
Ignatius. It was especially felt upon Saint Mary Magda-
len's day, which was kept as the feast of the Mother General.
" We felt it keenly," writes Madame Xavier, " but we laid
our sacrifice before the altar, and united in spirit with our
Paris sisters in offering the best wishes of our hearts to the
Mother who is the joy and glory of our dear Society."

On August /th, 1822, about a year after the foundation
of Grand Coteau, the religious had the delightful surprise
of a visit from Mother Duchesne.

The following day the pupils left for their summer vaca-
tion, and the community were at liberty to enjoy in full
measure the presence of their revered Mother.

However, occasional sacrifices were not wanting, even
during those happy days. Madame Aude notes in her jour-
nal that the first Sunday after Mother Duchesne's arrival
they were deprived of Holy Mass, and then adds, in her own
mirthful strain, " The just man lives by faith, and, at times,
it is the only food to be found in these parts."

The 23d of the month brought the holidays to a close,
and the pupils returned with joy to the convent which they
had learned to love.

The scholastic year was opened, according to custom, by
the distribution of the honorary distinctions awarded dur-
ing the preceding term. Mother Duchesne presided at the
reunion.

As a testimony of respect to their venerated guest, a

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

complimentary address was read by Mary Hardey, in the
name of her companions.

Before leaving Grand Coteau, Mother Duchesne wrote to
Mother Barat in enthusiastic terms of the good effected by
Mother Aude in her school. She describes her as " one of
those souls that draw down graces on all who come near
them. Her pleasing manners, rare talents and capacity for
government lift her far above others of her sex."

After a visit of three weeks, Mother Duchesne returned
to Saint Louis. Her noble character and saintly appearance
had made a strong impression upon the pupils, especially
Mary Hardey, who began to reflect seriously upon vocation
for the religious life. Hitherto she had deemed herself un-
worthy of so high a calling, though she felt strongly at-
tracted to the cloister, but light came to her at a moment
when she least expected it. One day, while standing in the
ranks waiting for the signal to go to class, Madame Xavier's
gentle demeanor in the midst of her pupils forcibly im-
pressed her, and she seemed to hear an interior voice utter-
ing these words, " What others have done you can do."
She resolved at once to accomplish her duties with greater
fidelity, and to enter with ardor on the rugged path of self-
denial, in order to prepare her soul for the more perfect ful-
fillment of the Divine Will.

Mary's school days ended in the summer of 1824, in a
manner most satisfactory to her teachers and highly gratify-
ing to her parents. During the course of the year she had
worn the " First IVIedallion," the highest honor of the school,
and had been received into the Congregation of the Chil-
dren of Mary.

In her home she was distinguished by a tender love and
constant thoughtfulness for all around her. Mrs. Hardey
found in her a congenial companion, as well as a dutiful
daughter, ever ready to assist at the burdensome cares of
the household.

With her younger brothers and sisters she was like a

FOUNDATION IN LOUISIANA

child, ever disposed to enter into all their passing pleasures,
and nearly sixty years later her brother, Dr. Charles Hardey,
rendered the following tribute to his sister's amiable disposi-
tion : " As a devoted daughter and affectionate sister, she
was a model for imitation, always sweet, kind, obedient, lov-
ing. She was almost adored by the negro servants. As for
me, she was my confidant and playmate ; the love between
us grew as I advanced in years, and continued true and
tender to the time of her death. Her memory is as dear to
my heart now as it was sixty years ago."

Among her relatives and friends Mary was no less a
favorite than in the bosom of her family. She is represented
by those who knew her then as a tall, beautiful girl, with a
commanding figure and a dignity of bearing altogether in
advance of her years.

Although surrounded by all the joys that make home-life
delightful, her vocation for the religious state became daily
more rooted. She realized fully the sacrifices it would de-
mand from herself and those she loved, but there was no
hesitation in her strong resolve to leave all at the Master's
call.

Mrs. Hardey's watchful eye soon discovered her daugh-
ter's attraction, and in the strong simplicity of her faith she
blessed God that He had honored her in choosing for His
special service one of her children, and that one the most
gifted and the most tenderly loved. It was different with
her father. He treated the matter very lightly, having no
faith in his daughter's vocation. Hence, he readily entered
into the plans of certain relatives of the family to divert
Mary's aspirations into another channel. A pleasure party
was organized for the purpose of introducing to her a gen-
tleman who was considered worthy of her heart and hand.

Mary was on the point of accepting the invitation when
she recognized the snare laid for her vocation and realized
that the hour had come for her to follow the call of God.
Not daring to trust herself to speak to her father, she wrote

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

him a note, asking permission to enter the convent the fol-
lowing day. As his room was directly over hers, she heard
him pacing the floor until a late hour that night. She knew
well the struggle he was going through and, dreading an
unfavorable decision, she delayed entering the dining room
the next morning until the family had withdrawn ; but, to
her dismay, she found her father awaiting her. Referring to
her note, he spoke of her request as a " childish freak," add-
ing, however, that he would not oppose her but would take
her himself to the convent. " You will not remain," he said,
" and in a few days we shall see you home again." But she
assured him that she understood perfectly the importance
of the step she was about to take, and that with the assist-
ance of God she hoped to persevere.

On the Feast of St. Michael, September 29, 1825, she
bade a silent farewell to her mother, who fully realized that
her daughter would never again cross the threshold of her
home, while the younger members of the family, all un-
conscious of their loss, thought she was only leaving for a
visit to the convent and urged her not to remain too long.

At Grand Coteau there was no anticipation of her com-
ing. The religious knew she intended to enter, but they were
wholly unprepared for her announcement, " This time I have
come to stay." " So you think, my child/' interrupted her
father, " but you will soon tire of the life and in a week's
time you will be home again ! Meanwhile, is there anything
we can send you? " "Oh! yes, father," she answered, " I
have forgotten my looking-glass and comb." All present
were greatly amused at her request, which confirmed Mr.
Hardey in his opinion of her vocation. If it proceeded from
vanity, we shall see later on how she conquered this weak-
ness of her sex.

A few days after her entrance her vocation was put to
a severe test. An aged negress, known on the Hardey plan-
tation as " Old Aunt Sophie," came to tell her that her
father was dangerously ill. " Do come home, Miss Mary,

FOUNDATION IN LOUISIANA

for he is very sick, very sick indeed," adding tears and sobs
to her entreaties. Mary felt strongly urged to hasten to
her father, but she resisted the impulse and dismissed Aunt
Sophie with sympathetic messages for the family. Her
grief, however, overcame her, and an hour later she started
for home without saying a word to any one. She had walked
a mile when suddenly it dawned upon her that she was about
to give up all that the grace of God had enabled her to ac-
complish. Again the voice of conscience was promptly
obeyed, and renewing to God the sacrifice of her home, now
doubly dear because of the sorrow that overshadowed it,
she retraced her steps, and, with her usual frankness, ac-
knowledged to Mother Aude her struggle and her triumph.

The next day they learned that Mr. Hardey had not been
even indisposed. Aunt Sophie's love for her young mistress
was unfortunately greater than her love for truth, so she
had recourse to this expedient in the hope of getting her
home again.

The strength of character which Mary showed on this
occasion was evinced in matters of minor importance, a mat-
ter of feminine vanity. She had taken complacency in her
beautiful golden hair, and spent many precious hours before
her mirror, arranging it in heavy braids which fell below her
waist, or in binding it up with a fancy comb, according to
the prevailing fashion. In the first weeks of her postulantship
her conscience began to reproach her with loss of time and
the folly of such vanity, so one evening, while the religious
were at supper, she hastened to the dormitory and cut off
her braids. The changed appearance of the young postulant
caused great astonishment, and Mother Aude rebuked her
very severely for her impulsive act.

Another incident will show the sincerity of her desire to
consecrate herself unreservedly to God. Once, while listen-
ing to an instruction on the obligation of the vow of obedi-
ence, she was greatly disturbed in mind. It seemed to her
impossible to pass her whole life in doing the will of another,

3 33

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

but she was not long in finding a solution to her difficulty.
" The surest way of being able to do my own will," she said,
" is always to will that which my superiors will for me."
The resolution was faithfully kept through life.

One day she was asked if she knew how to spin. " No,"
she answered, " but I can learn." And before long she be-
came an adept in the art.

Wishing to test her patience, Mother Aude gave her at
one of the recreations a tangled skein of silk to unravel,
warning her not to break the thread. With characteristic
determination the young postulant began her task, and with
skillful management and unwearied perseverance at last suc-
ceeded in accomplishing it.

Mother Xavier, who had been watching her dear Mary
with loving interest, applauded her constancy, and, turning
to Mother Aude exclaimed, " Our dear little Sister's per-
severance is certain, O Mother, do give her the veil."

CHAPTER V.

MARY HARDEY RECEIVES THE RELIGIOUS HABIT — FOUNDA-
TION OF ST. MICHAEL'S, LA. — MADAME HARDEY
TAKES HER FIRST Vows — 1824-1827.

Mary Hardey received the religious habit on the 22d of
October, 1825, in the little chapel of Grand Coteau.

A friend of the family who was present at the ceremony
gives the following details : " It was a day of great joy for
Mary, whose face beamed with happiness ; but for us who
were losing her, it was full of sadness. We could not but
grieve to see one so young and so dearly loved lay aside her
bridal robes and come among us in the sombre garb of a
novice of the Sacred Heart. Our hearts were full of sym-
pathy for the courageous parents, so generous in their
sacrifice."

It was customary in those days for the novice to assume
the name of a saint. Mary adopted that of Saint Aloysius
and during the earlier years of her religious life she was
usually called Madame Aloysia, and faithfully did she try
to emulate the virtues of her beloved patron.

Obedience was her guiding star, and when on the day
after the ceremony of her clothing she was called upon to
bid adieu to Grand Coteau, her second home, she obeyed the
summons cheerfully.

About sixty miles from New Orleans, on the left bank
of the Mississippi, lie the fair lands associated with the
pathetic story of the Arcadian exiles and glorified by the
charm of Longfellow's magical pen. Its bayous and wood-
lands and flower enameled fields are embalmed with mem-
ories of the gentle Evangeline. Not far from these smiling
scenes, in the midst of a devout Catholic population, the
Society of the Sacred Heart founded its third convent in
America.

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

The Abbe Delacroix, formerly chaplain at Florissant,
but at this time Cure of the small town of St. Michael's, had
appealed to Mother Duchesne to establish an academy in his
parish. His desire met with innumerable obstacles, but the
indefatigable Cure surmounted them all. To Mother Du-
chesne's objection that financial resources were wanting, he
responded by raising a subscription of seven thousand dol-
lars for the purchase of land and the erection of a house.

In corresponding with Mother Barat on the subject,
Mother Duchesne wrote : " Mother Aude is the only one
Vvho could carry on this work. It requires her firmness, tact
and prudence in so difficult a position. Madame Xavier
Murphy is well fitted to replace her at Grand Coteau."

Mother Aude in her letter to Mother Barat makes us
acquainted with the members of the new foundation.

" I take with me to Saint Michael's Madame Xavier
Hamilton, a very competent mistress for the English classes,
who, if necessary, can assist in teaching French ; Sister
Labruyere and Sister Mullanphy, who will be cook; Phil-
ippine and Sophie, the two novices who received the veil on
the feast of Saint Magdalen, and with whom we are every
day more pleased. Then there is a third novice, Mary Har-
dey, whom we had for two years and a half as a pupil. She
was always at the head of her class and was ' First
Medallion ' in the school. She would do honor even to the
French Novitiate. Pray that she may persevere. I think
that she will one day be a great help to us. She is not yet
sixteen."

On the 23d of October, 1825, the little band bade a sad
but loving farewell to relatives and friends who had assem-
bled to wish them " God speed " on their journey. The part-
ing was painful on all sides, as we learn from Mother Aude's
letters, for the spirit which moves one to renounce every-
thing for God does not sever filial and fraternal bonds of
affection. On the contrary, it enlarges the heart and

RECEIVES THE RELIGIOUS HABIT

strengthens even those natural ties that render life sacred
and beautiful.

Mr. and Mrs. Hardey gave their blessing and consent to
their daughter's departure, and they were much consoled to
see her so generous in her sacrifice.

Leaving Grand Coteau and Mother Xavier Murphy, the
special friend and guide of her school days, was an addi-
tional sorrow to Mary. A warm sympathy united them,
arising from similar traits of strength and beauty of char-
acter. Though their paths were henceforth separate, their
friendship, founded in the love of Jesus, was constant to the
end.

After various halts and adventures on the journey, the
little colony reached St. Michael's on the eve of All Saints.

Mother Aude thus describes their arrival : " Monsieur
Delacroix received us kindly, and as our house is not yet
under roof he gave up his own to us and sought lodgings
elsewhere.

" On the Feast of All Saints we were obliged to go to the
parish church, and the news of our arrival having been
noised abroad the church was full. Monsieur Delacroix
placed us in the sanctuary, and at his request we sang the
Mass of Dumont, a Tantum Ergo, a hymn and the Laudate.
The congregation joined in the singing with great feeling.
Many of them were moved to tears.

" I have already received visits from the principal in-
habitants, who have made us kind offers of services, but the
more we are welcomed the more I wish to hide myself in
the Heart of Jesus. I have greater need than ever of prayers
for this work, which I undertake with certain misgivings."

The religious left the dwelling of the hospitable Cure
on the 2oth of November and took possession of their new
convent, which was situated in the center of the parish,
very near the church.

Mother Aude gives the following description of it to
Mother Barat: "Our house is one hundred feet in length,

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

built in brick, with green shutters, shingled roof and wood-
work the color of mahogany. We have no other furniture
than the four walls, no stove nor fireplace, but we warm
ourselves near the Crib of the Saviour, and from time to
time in the kitchen. It is impossible to get a workman to
make a bench ; all are too busy trying to finish the house."
A little later she wrote again, alluding to their privations:
" It is really the poverty of the Crib ; nothing could be more
charming. Our little novices are being strengthened in
their vocation, and they will soon be able to assist us in the
school."

The seed of an abundant harvest is ordinarily sown in
the earth of self-abnegation. Such was the soil from which
Mother Aude and her little family were to reap the fruit of
their labors.

For four months they lived on milk and rice, yet their
health was excellent. Love lightened every task, and priva-
tions were, at times, even sources of amusement.

During the first weeks they had to take their meals in
rather primitive style. They had no dishes, but a peddler
called one day and temptingly displayed his wares, where-
upon they bought a dozen tin plates, promising to pay him
later as they had no ready money. The next morning, while
each one was enjoying the luxury of a plate at breakfast,
the creditor appeared at the door and demanded payment.
In vain was he reminded of the terms of the contract. He
would brook no delay, so before finishing their repast they
had to wash the plates and return them to the inexorable
owner. Incidents such as these brightened the days of toil
and privation that preceded the opening of the school.

Mother Aude marked with joy the growing fervor of her
daughters, and wrote Mother Barat : " Our little novices
are being formed to the religious life; one particularly,
Madame Aloysia, is likely to become a great success. Her
demeanor, her aptitude for study, her docility, her excellent
judgment and attachment to the Society afford us the great-

RECEIVES THE RELIGIOUS HABIT

est consolation and make us look hopefully to her future."
Towards the end of March the building was completed,

and Our Lord took up His abode in the modest little chapel.
In a transport of joy, Mother Aude writes to Mother

Barat :

" EASTER SUNDAY, 1826.

" MY VERY REVEREND MOTHER :

" I do not believe there is a happier person in the whole
world than I am to-day. This morning for the first time we
had Mass in our little chapel. Our Lord is with us ! He
has said to us, as to His Apostles, ' Fear not, it is I ! ' Ah !
Mother, can you understand how sweet is the day that ends
our privation of five long months? The Real Presence of
Jesus in the Eucharist is now so sensible to my heart that
I could fly to martyrdom to prove my belief in this great
truth. The entire world, with all its riches and pleasures,
could never equal one moment of the joy I felt when I saw
the Blessed Sacrament placed in the Tabernacle. We all
wept for joy on leaving the chapel. Even our pupils were
deeply moved. Mother, O, Mother! We have Jesus with
us! Nothing now troubles me, for He will always be here.
With Him I can do all, suffer all, hope for all. . . .

" Our little chapel is simple and pretty, but Jesus is
there ! I would like to make the whole world happy to-day,
because of the ravishing joy I find in the presence of the
Good Master."

Such was the ardent soul that inspired Madame Hardey,
and through her, successive generations, with a tender love
for Jesus in the Sacrament of the Altar. About the same
time that the religious rejoiced to welcome Jesus to their
new home, they gave cordial greeting to the young souls to
whom they were to make Him known and loved.

" It would be impossible to desire a better opening,"
writes Mother Aude. " The pupils are polite and docile, the
mistresses united and submissive to authority. Our little

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

novices surpass my expectations, especially Madame Aloy-
sia. She is like an experienced Mistress with the pupils, is
very energetic at study, and most successful in teaching her
classes. Her exterior bearing is amiability itself; in char-
acter, she is frank and artless, her judgment is solid, and her
vocation genuine. Indeed, I should have too many conso-
lations were it not for the anxiety caused by so many debts.
However, God will take care of us in His own way."

Mother Barat wrote her congratulations to Mother Aude
and the assurance of her deep interest in the welfare of St.
Michael's, and in conclusion she says: "Give my kindest
greetings to your dear family and assure them all that they
are dearer to me than ever, since their separation from
Grand Coteau. You are now charged with the mission of
making the Heart of Jesus better known and loved in an-
other part of Louisiana. Why cannot I share your labors?
Ah ! I know well ; it is because I am unworthy. I can, at
least, envy your privilege, and beg Our Lord to shower bless-
ings upon my Eugenie and her daughters who are so dear
to me."

A little later, in reply to Mother Aude's remark that she
" longed to wear out her life and die for the interests of
Jesus," she replied : " I implore you, my dear Eugenie, take
care of your health and do not desire to die. To live and
suffer for the glory of Him you love, is far more worthy of
your devoted heart. That other desire is an imperfect one
and evinces more love for yourself than for Him. To labor
for the salvation of souls is the greatest proof of our love
for God. Besides, you have to extend the interests of our
dear Society in a new country. Farewell ! May the Heart
of Jesus make you and all your daughters His worthy
spouses and enable you to draw to Him a great number of
souls."

If we have dwelt upon these letters of the Mother Gen-
eral it is because the spirit breathing in them emits sparks
of that apostolic love which quickened the same ardent

1 Tomb of Mother Duchesne and House Where She Lived

2 St. Charles', Missouri. (Old House)

3 St. Michael's, Louisiana, 1825 1841

4 Grand Coteau, First Convent in Louisiana

5 St. Michael's as Planned by Mother Hardey

RECEIVES THE RELIGIOUS HABIT

flame in the hearts of Mary Hardey and the other members
of the little family of St. Michael's.

The prosperity of the new foundation soon realized the
most sanguine expectations. Within a few months several
postulants entered and forty pupils were received in the
school.

The following lines are a tribute from one of the pupils
of those early days, who, amid the fast falling shadows of
old age, recalled Madame Hardey's lovely young face and
the gentle influence she exercised around her: "I can see
her yet, as she looked then, so kind and unaffected in man-
ner, that the youngest child in the house could approach her
with ease, and yet, withal, so dignified, that the eldest re-
spected and reverenced her. The rare qualities with which
nature endowed her formed a rich setting for those super-
natural gifts and graces which shone out in her character
like the brightest of gems."

Towards the close of the year 1826, the Annals of the
Society of the Sacred Heart recorded one of the most im-
portant events in its history, namely, the approbation of
the Society by His Holiness, Leo XII.

" This approbation," says Mgr. Baunard, the historian
of Mother Barat, " not only confers on the Constitutions
which obtain it a stronger authority, a higher sanction and a
more sacred character, but it secures them against any rash
attempts to interfere with them.

" The Church when it approves of a Congregation im-
parts to it a share of its own prerogatives, which are to be a
united, unchangeable, independent and universal society."

In reference to this event, Mother Barat addressed a let-
ter to the Superiors of the Congregation. " Our Rules and
Constitutions," she wrote, " having borne the mark of the
Holy Spirit, and the exact observance of them having al-
ready conducted many of our Sisters to a high perfection
and a holy death; they appeared to lack nothing that could
win our veneration, except the sanction of the common

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Father of the Faithful. Urged by our great desire to be
more intimately united with the Visible Head of the Church,
whose devoted and submissive daughters, the Religious of
the Sacred Heart will ever glory in being, we conjured His
Holiness to approve our Constitutions. He has deigned to
grant us this favor, after they had been duly examined by the
Congregation of Regulars and a Commission of Cardinals.
The result is entirely conformable to our desires, and all our
rules have been recognized by the Holy Father as being
wise and divinely inspired.

" What a proof of love the Heart of Jesus has given the
Society, and with what gratitude our hearts should be filled !
But the solid fruit which He has the right to expect from
us, in return for so signal a blessing, is greater punctuality
and generosity in the observance of these holy rules. Let
each one then make them her study and say to herself fre-
quently, as an inducement to the faithful practice of them,
' in obeying these rules I am sure of obeying the Church
and of doing the will of God.' '!

Some American missionaries coming from Rome the
previous year had brought to Mother Duchesne and her
daughters a message from the Holy Father, urging them to
work zealously for the increase of devotion to the Sacred
Heart in America.

Mother Bigeu, who had been charged with carrying on
the negotiations for securing the papal sanction, had written
from Rome consoling news to Mother Duchesne. " The
work in which you are engaged has contributed greatly to
obtain the approbation of the Holy See. The Cardinals, and
the Pope himself, were very much impressed to hear that
the Sacred Heart had inspired women with so much
energy."

The announcement of this event gave rise to religious
celebrations in all the convents, in token of deep happiness
and unbounded gratitude; but the nuns in America seemed
to have a special right to rejoice since their humble labors

RECEIVES THE RELIGIOUS HABIT

had helped to secure for their loved Society the brief so
highly prized.

The struggles of the past and the trials of the present
were counted as nothing, now that the Society had received
this crowning blessing from the Father of Christendom.

Madame Aloysia Hardey was one of the first admitted
to take her vows after the Society had obtained the Papal
sanction.

According to the Rules of the Society of the Sacred
Heart, the novice spends two years in preparing herself
for this important event. During that period she is in-
structed in the nature of the obligations she is about to as-
sume, and, according to her measure of grace and strength,
her superiors must give her opportunities of making daily
progress in the practice of the virtues which are the object
of the vows. But her sweetest occupation and most sacred
duty is to contemplate, study and know intimately the in-
terior dispositions of the Heart of Jesus with regard to pov-
erty, chastity and obedience, in order to conform and unite
herself closely to them.

The Rule tells her " that she must cherish poverty as
her mother, and rejoice to feel its effects sometimes in her
food, rest, lodging and clothing."

" With regard to the virtue of chastity she must strive.
by continued watchfulness over her senses and the purity of
her mind and heart, to imitate the purity of Angels, and
even the purity of the Heart of Jesus, as far as it is possible
for creatures, aided by Divine Grace."

" The exercise of obedience will become very sweet to
her, if she always considers, as she should do, in every su-
perior, the person of Jesus Christ Himself; she will find no
difficulty in conforming her will to the will of her superiors
in everything in which there is not evident sin, and by the
conformity of her judgment with that of her superior, by
the readiness and joy that will accompany her obedience,
she must endeavor to omit nothing that may belong to the

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

perfection of this virtue of which Jesus Christ is the model."

In regard to the other virtues befitting the holiness of
her vocation, the novice is to consider the Heart of Jesus
as an " open book " in which she can study how He prac-
ticed each virtue in particular, in order to conform herself
to the interior dispositions of His Divine Heart, when she
is called upon to imitate His example.

Madame Hardey had profited so well by the training she
had received and had made such progress in humility and
self-renunciation, that her superiors abridged the period of
her noviceship and admitted her to her first vows on the
fifteenth of March, 1827.

The five years which follow before the final vows, are
considered as a continuation of the noviceship, the exer-
cises and practices of which are preserved, as far as they
can be combined with application to study or teaching.
Hence the Rule reminds the young religious that " they
must beware of thinking that they have entered on a course
of greater freedom in which there will be less restraint and
subjection. On the contrary, they must regard each step
in religious life as a step further towards that perfection at
which they must aim until their last breath. They have in
fact engaged themselves to this before God, by making
their first vows, and they must feel that it would be a
strange abuse of grace, if, at the end of the five years, they
were less advanced in interior life and the virtues of their
state, than they were on leaving the novitiate."

During the course of these five years, local superiors are
required to keep the Superior General exactly informed of
the progress in virtue, and success in studies of the aspi-
rants under their charge, in order that she may judge who
are to be admitted at the end of this time to the final pro-
bation.

We are enabled to follow Madame Hardey's advance-
ment during the period of her aspirantship from the letters
of Mother Aude to Mother Barat.

RECEIVES THE RELIGIOUS HABIT

In the fall of 1827 she writes : " The novices are good.
Among the aspirants, Madame Aloysia distinguishes her-
self in every respect."

A little later, when Mother Duchesne was about to
establish a convent in St. Louis, she expressed the desire to
have Madame Aloysia. Mother Aude wrote in reply : " If
you take Madame Aloysia, dear Mother, you may as well
take the whole house."

These words from a superior like Mother Aude prove
the worth of the young religious ; but the following lines to
Mother Barat are even more appreciative, especially when
we consider that Madame Aloysia was not yet twenty years
of age.

" She has an upright mind, excellent judgment, great
prudence, experience far beyond her years, and without ex-
ception she is the most promising subject in the Commu-
nity. She possesses likewise the most attractive exterior
qualities, a lovely countenance and that modesty and dig-
nity so becoming in a religious."

CHAPTER VI.

DEATH OF MADAME HAMILTON — COUNCIL AT SAINT
MICHAEL'S — 1827-1833.

In the beginning of May, 1827, Madame Matilda Hamil-
ton, the Assistant Superior and Mistress General of the
school of Saint Michael's, was called to her eternal reward.

Mother Aude, under the first impression of her grief,
wrote to Mother Barat : " Our Angel of Peace is no more.
God called her to Himself at three o'clock yesterday morn-
ing. After receiving the Last Sacraments, she gave me her
cold hand, saying, ' I am dying; in a few moments I shall
be with God.' She then took her Crucifix, pressed it to her
lips, looked at me as if to take a final leave, uttered the
name of Jesus and breathed her last sigh."

The great gifts with which Madame Hamilton was en-
dowed had led her superiors to look to her future as one of
eminent usefulness to the Society. Her life was truly a
striking illustration of the triumph of grace in a soul that
earnestly seeks God.

Like Madame Aloysia Hardey, to whom she was re-
lated, Madame Hamilton sprang from one of those English
Catholic families which sought liberty on the peaceful
shores of the Chesapeake.

Her father left Maryland early in 1810, in order to ad-
vance the worldly prospects of his children in the new
homes of Upper Louisiana. His first care, however, was to
give them an education that would be an inheritance for
time and eternity. His abode was open at all times to re-
ceive the passing missionary, hence, his family lived, as it
were, in the blessed atmosphere which surrounds the priest
of God.

In those early days, many a Catholic home became the
sanctuary of the King of Kings. An apartment was always
ready for the priest, and another for the chapel, where less

DEATH OF MADAME HAMILTON

fortunate neighbors might assist at the Holy Mass. Such
was the home of the Hamiltons. It was not surprising then
that two of the daughters were called to the religious state.

Eulalia and Matilda became pupils of the Sacred Heart
at Florissant in 1820, and the following year the former en-
tered the noviceship.

Matilda had likewise heard the call to a more perfect
life, but she lacked courage to respond. She was on the
point of sailing for Europe when she heard that Eulalia was
to be clothed in the religious habit, so she delayed her de-
parture until after the ceremony. She was so impressed by
the scene and so touched by Divine Grace, that she entered
the noviceship at once, and, a month later, received the
white veil of the novice, assuming the name of Xavier.

Mother Duchesne, writing of her to Mother Barat, says :
" Our Sister Matilda is very pleasing in looks and manner ;
she has a manly spirit, generous soul and capability for
great sacrifices. God has allowed her to go through many
trials, but her courage and faith have triumphed over all."

After taking her first vows, Madame Hamilton was
sent to Grand Coteau, and later she accompanied Mother
Aude to St. Michael's, where, under her prudent direction,
the school acquired a reputation which was rapidly ex-
tending throughout the Southern States. Already the
pupils numbered sixty-five. All of them deeply regretted
the death of the Mother, whose sterling qualities they had
learned to appreciate.

Madame Hamilton would have been an irreparable loss
to Mother Aude had not the latter seen that Madame Aloy-
sia could be trained to replace her in the important post of
Mistress General, the duties of which office are thus laid
down in the Rule :

" To labor constantly for the glory of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus, to form young souls to His love, employing human
knowledge only as a useful instrument to direct them to
this noble end, such are the principal motives which the

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Mistress General must have in view and which will draw
clown the blessing of God upon her work.

" She shall, therefore, fervently implore the Sacred
Heart of Jesus to grant her the spirit of prayer, of fervor
and of zeal. In order to fulfill her duties profitably she
needs a sound and solid judgment, great vigilance, true dis-
cernment, enlightened prudence, delicate sense of what is
becoming, and finally, wise firmness, tempered by kindness,
gentleness and charity.

" She should look upon herself as holding a mother's
place to all the children confided to her. She shall, there-
fore, have for them all a mother's love and try to gain their
confidence by gentleness and kindness.

" She shall watch with motherly tenderness over the
preservation of their health, and when sick procure for them,
and even personally bestow on them every care which ten-
der charity can suggest.

" Her position, far from rendering her independent, does
but draw closer the bonds which unite the Mistress Gen-
eral to the Superior whose place she holds in the office in-
trusted to her."

In confiding to Madame Aloysia a charge of such re-
sponsibility, Mother Aude continued to watch and direct
her at every step, while her docile daughter found light,
strength and efficiency for her important duties in her en-
tire submission to the wise counsels of her beloved superior.

Saint Michael's did not fail to realize the fair promise of
its opening years, as we learn from Bishop Rosati, the suc-
cessor of Bishop Dubourg, who wrote to Mother Barat as
follows: " It is evident that God has special designs on this
country, since He gives us not only the advantage of a first
rate, and at the same time Christian education, but also the
inestimable blessing of a great many vocations to the reli-
gious life, which is something quite unheard of in these
parts. The good which is being done at Saint Michael's is
great, but we have every reason to hope for even greater."

DEATH OF MADAME HAMILTON

With that untiring zeal which distinguished her, Mother
Barat sought to strengthen the American branch of the So-
ciety. The political horizon ©f Europe was lowering, and
the evils of an approaching revolution again threatened to
compromise the liberty of the Church in France, hence,
Mother Barat looked to the New World as the probable
stronghold of Faith's grandest triumphs in the nineteenth
century. In her letters to Mother Duchesne she expresses
the hope that if the menacing storm should break in fury
around them, the Society might find in America a refuge
where it could still labor for the glory of the Sacred Heart.

In order to maintain that unity of spirit and government
essential to the well being of the Society, she directed
Mother Duchesne to convene the superiors for the purpose
of holding a provincial council.

In spite of her reluctance to preside over this delibera-
tive body, Mother Duchesne humbly bowed before the de-
cision of her superior, and asked only that the meeting
might be held at Saint Michael's, in order to spare the
Southern Superiors the fatigue of a journey to Saint Louis.

She left Saint Louis on the 7th of November, 1829, and
soon after her arrival at Saint Michael's she opened the
council in accordance with the wishes of the Mother Gen-
eral.

The Society had been especially blessed by God since its
first foundation in Saint Charles eleven years before. There
were now five academies with three hundred and fifty pupils
in attendance, and the number of religious had reached
sixty-five.

Mother Duchesne in forwarding her report to the
Mother General, writes in glowing terms of the convent at
Saint Michael's. " Our children are very obedient and very
faithful to the practice of their religion. The former pupils
are much attached to the house and speak of it with enthu-
siastic gratitude.

" Many of them come here for confession and Holy

4 49

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Comrnunion. We have our own way with the parents who
appreciate our system of education."

She also wrote in praise of the Community, adding:
" Every day they make greater efforts to advance in virtue,
often seeking, rather than avoiding humiliations."

Madame Aloysia, as secretary of the council, was
brought into frequent relations with Mother Duchesne, who
was quick to discern in the young religious rare intellectual
gifts, exceptional qualities and unusual strength of will.

Having remarked her reserved and somewhat haughty
bearing, which she termed her " American pride." Mother
Duchesne lost no opportunity of testing her humility by
sharp and severe reprimands. She was no doubt well satis-
fied with the evidences of humility which she discovered,
for, writing later of her, she adds these significant words:
" Madame Aloysia is too perfect ; I fear she will not live
long."

If Mother Duchesne was consoled by the religious spirit
which reigned at Saint Michael's, her own example of self-
abnegation and humble dependence was a source of edifica-
tion to every one. She had said of herself in a letter to
Mother Barat that she was " a worn out staff, only fit to be
set aside," but, when she bade adieu to the assembled
Mothers and started on her homeward journey, they felt
that she was truly a column and strong support to the So-
ciety in America.

In 1832, the convent at Saint Michael's counted two hun-
dred inmates. The school continued to prosper, the ranks
cf the Noviceship were constantly increasing, and twelve
little orphans had been received by Mother Aude.

With this ever growing success, time passed away in
that blissful monotony which offers little for the historian
to relate. Yet the faithful accomplishment of the duties of
every day life was silently preparing Mother Aude and her
daughters for the terrible calamity that was to visit their
peaceful home and seal their mission with the life-giving
sign of the Cross. _n

CHAPTER VII.

CHOLERA AT ST. MICHAEL'S — MADAME HARDEY'S PROFESSION

— MADAME AUDE'S DEPARTURE FOR FRANCE — MADAME

HARDEY APPOINTED SUPERIOR — 1833-1836.

In the Spring of 1832, the Asiatic cholera appeared for
the first time in America, having been carried to Quebec on
the tide of western emigration. Following the St. Law-
rence River and the Great Lakes, the pestilence turned
southward, advancing with the current of the Mississippi,
along whose borders it smote down thousands of victims.

During the next Spring the contagion swept over Louisi-
ana, and the convent of St. Michael's was included in its de-
structive course.

On the 3Oth of May, Madame Vandamne, one of the re-
ligious, felt the symptoms of the dread disease, and before
the rise of the morrow's sun her spirit passed from its earth-
ly exile to its eternal home. Two of the orphans and five of
the religious were already attacked, and two others were at
the last extremity.

Mother Aude took prompt and decisive measures to ar-
rest the progress of the disease. The pupils were sent to
their homes, and the Community and orphans were re-
stricted to a part of the building, where they were sheltered
from the contagion.

The intrepid superior remained at the post of danger
day and night, and in answer to friends who urged her to
remove with the Community to a place of safety, she reso-
lutely declared : " I would rather be torn to pieces than to
leave the bedside of my poor Sisters. God united us at the
foot of the Altar and together we must live or die."

Madame Aloysia Hardey ably seconded her superior in
her attendance on the sick. An eye witness tells us that

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

" she went through the plague-stricken house like an Angel
of Mercy, cheering the invalids, consoling the dying and
preparing the dead for burial. Her delicate charity, pres-
ence of mind and efficiency in nursing, rendered her invalu-
able not only to Mother Aude but to the entire Com-
munity."

While she was attending one of the orphans, the doctor
bade her bestow her care upon those whose condition gave
greater hopes of recovery. In obedience she withdrew, but
returned a little later to find the sufferer still alive. For
twenty-four hours she devoted herself to the care of the
child, applying such remedies as her judgment and experi-
ence suggested, and at the doctor's next visit she had the
joy of hearing him pronounce her little patient out of
danger.

" In those terrible days," wrote Mother Aude, " God
gave me the consolation of seeing the Sisters who were
taken from us die like saints, and the others, calm, resigned
and even happy, expressing but one desire — to be true to
their last breath to the consecration they had made of their
whole life to the Divine Heart of Jesus."

The devoted superior at last succumbed to the exhaus-
tion consequent upon her anxiety and fatigue. After a brief
illness she rallied, but scarcely was she convalescent when
one of the Sisters died of apoplexy. That death was fol-
lowed by three others in rapid succession. In her distress,
Mother Aude wrote to the Mother General: "Has God
closed the last link in this chain of cruel trials? He alone
knows, and I must not seek to know. I am heartbroken.
Pray for me, dearest Mother, that neither in my heart nor
on my lips any word or thought of complaint may ever
arise."

The untiring devotedness of Madame Hardey during
those memorable days was rewarded by that privilege so
ardently desired by every Religious of the Sacred Heart,
admission to her final vows.

CHOLERA AT ST. MICHAEL'S

It is by their final profession that the members enter
properly speaking, into the body of the Society, and become
eligible for offices of government and administration.

In the words of the Rule, " their love for Jesus Christ,
their zeal for the glory of His Divine Heart, their charity
towards others, in a word, all the virtues, whether essential
or proper to their holy vocation, should as much excel those
to be found in novices, as a person running along the road
to perfection outstrips one who is seeking it.

" Called as they are by their Institute to consecrate
themselves to the service of their neighbor and to the sanc-
tification of souls, let them never forget that they should be
deeply rooted in humility and charity. The nobler and
grander their work is in the light of faith, the more they
should lower and annihilate themselves in their own hearts.
In this deep sense of their lowliness and nothingness, they
must be ready at all times to accept the lowest employ-
ments in the house. They must also accept contempt and
humiliation, no matter whence they come, as well as the re-
proofs, mortifications or penances which the superior may
think useful for the good of their soul. . . .

" Thus faithful to the grace of their vocation, they will
advance more and more in the way of perfection and pre-
pare themselves for eternal union with their Divine
Spouse."

According to the plan of the Institute this important step
must be preceded by a period of probation, which tn the be-
ginning of the Society was three, and has since been ex-
tended to six months. This second noviceship, generally
made at a mature age, after the first experiences of life have
been gone through, is one of the most powerful means of
renewal and spiritual progress. During that time study,
teaching, offices are all interrupted and ample time given
for prayer, silence and cultivation of the interior life.

In Madame Hardey's case there was no such respite
from labor, no such preparation for the coming of the bride-

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

groom ; but the lessons of heroic suffering and filial submis-
sion to the Divine Will which she had so recently learned in
the midst of the pestilence, had fully prepared her for the
grace of profession, which she made on the iQth of July,

1833-

The fervor of the young religious, which was a foreshad-
owing of the life of devotedness that was to bring forth such
rich harvests for the glory of the Heart of Jesus, imparted
to this ceremony, always so impressive, a spiritual bright-
ness that led Mother Aude to write to Mother Barat:

" Madame Aloysia's profession was a ray of sunshine
after the gloom of those terrible days through which we
passed."

The close of this sadly eventful year was sealed by a
sacrifice keenly felt at Saint Michael's.

Mother Aude was recalled to France, having been elected
at the recent General Council one .of the four Assistants of
the Mother General.

In writing to Mother Barat as to the choice of her suc-
cessor, Mother Aude says : " Madame Aloysia could be su-
perior, but she is only twenty-three years of age, and, as
you remember, made her profession a few months ago.
. . . These are the only obstacles I see, for she has the
prudence, talents and virtues necessary for the position."

Two days later this letter was followed by another, in
which Mother Aude says: "Madame Aloysia has all the
qualifications requisite for one at the head of a house, if you
can overlook her age."

Unquestionable as these praises were, Mother Barat
deemed it unwise to depart from the customs of the Society,
so she named Madame Bazire superior and appointed
Madame Aloysia assistant superior, in addition to her office
of mistress general, treasurer and mistress of class.

Under the pressure of such arduous and unremitting la-
bors Madame Aloysia's health began to break. In June,
1836, she wrote to Mother Aude : " I fear my chest will not

CHOLERA AT ST. MICHAEL'S

be able to bear more than ten years of teaching. But what
does it matter, since it is in the service of the Society that
I am wearing out. Like a brave soldier, I should be proud
of my scars." And in another letter : " In order to finish
my occupations, I have to take from my night's rest what
the days fail to supply, but I am only too happy to labor
for the welfare of our dear Society and the good of souls.
I have always been faithful to your parting recommenda-
tion, never to complain, no matter how multiplied or bur-
densome my duties may be.''

Mother Hardey's correspondence with Mother Barat
dates from this time. On April 18, 1836, she wrote her the
following letter:

" MY VERY REVEREND MOTHER:

" Our revered Bishop Blanc will hand you this letter
and he promised to do all in his power to bring me in re-
turn a few lines traced by your own hand. He has been our
guest for a few days and he seems to be deeply interested in
all that relates to our welfare.

" He will tell you of the desire of Bishop Purcell to
establish a house of the Society in Cincinnati. A founda-
tion there would contribute greatly to the advantage of our
other convents, as we are in need of teachers for the Eng-
lish classes, and I am sure such teachers could be found
among the accessions made to the Society in Cincinnati. Be-
lieve me, Very Reverend Mother, our little family of Saint
Michael's is prepared to make any sacrifice you may demand
to further this undertaking, which we have all the more at
heart, because we feel sure that it will advance the interests
of the Society. As to your Aloysia, she is ready to give you
a proof of her devotedness not by offering herself for the
foundation, for she is unworthy of being chosen, but by ac-
cepting an increase of labor in order to replace those whom
you may deem suited for so noble a mission."

About the same time, Mother Hardey recommended the

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

proposed foundation to Mother Aude, whose special office
in Paris was to watch over the interests of the American
houses.

In her letter she says: " We have had the honor of a
visit from Bishop Blanc and Bishop Portier of Mobile.
They visited the school and the community and seemed
pleased with everything.

" Bishop Blanc asked several questions about the com-
munity, among others, whether union reigned at St. Mi-
chael's. ' Yes, Monseigneur/ replied one of the religious,
' you may tell our Mother General that we are one.'

" ' Why, that surpasses the Trinity,' exclaimed Bishop
Portier. ' Here are twenty-eight nuns and they make but
one.' The Bishop of Mobile is very witty and affable."

In this same letter Mother Hardey tells Mother Aude
of certain difficulties with the Trustees of the Church, aris-
ing from the proximity of the convent to the parish church.
These gentlemen took offense because the religious erected
a wall of inclosure around their property. With the hope
of appeasing them, Mother Hardey proposed certain plans,
which she forwarded to Mother Aude, begging her to sub-
mit them to Mother Barat for approval. In conclusion she
expresses the fear that her letters may not have been suffi-
ciently clear and detailed.

" I shrink from expressing my views too decidedly," she
says, " and this often makes me reticent. Tell her that you
know the heart of your American daughter, that it is good,
that it loves her as much as an American can love, and that
is more than an American can express."

While Mother Hardey thus found solace in pouring out
her anxieties to her beloved Mother Aude, a grave was
about to open for one whom she held in tender affection.

Mother Xavier Murphy, the friend and confidante of her
school days, was dying. Although they had met but sel-
dom since their separation in 1825, they always remained
faithfully attached to each other.

CHOLERA AT ST. MICHAEL'S

One of the religious of those days gives the following
account of Mother Murphy's visit to Saint Michael's in
1834: " Our families in Louisiana were very united. Many
of the religious were strangers in a strange land, and this
fact seemed to link their hearts in bonds of closer union.
Mother Murphy's visit was hailed with joy. On one of our
holidays she insisted upon serving us at dinner, saying that
she deemed it an honor to wait upon the spouses of the
Lord.

" Towards the end of the meal she drew from her pocket
a roll of paper and read us some sprightly verses she had
written for the occasion.

" This esteemed Mother possessed a highly cultivated
mind and the rare gift of uniting religious sentiment with a
cheerfulness of manner that brought sunshine wherever she
went."

Though a prey to incessant fever, Mother Murphy re-
tained to the last her joyful serenity of character. Writing
to Mother Barat as her death drew near, she says : " My
soul is stronger than my body, for my mind is always at
peace. The more imperfect I am, the more God seems to
love me." And to Mother Duchesne she writes : " This
fever weakens me very much ; but for the good of the Com-
munity it is well for the Superior to suffer. Pray that God
may give me grace to become a holocaust for His glory."

From the Annals of Grand Coteau, dated September 6,
1836, we are able to give an account of the last hours of
Mother Murphy's well filled life : " We have no longer any
hope of saving our beloved superior. God in His wisdom
has not answered our prayers according to our desires. He
wants to give her the peace of a better world. Early this
morning we sent for Father Rossi, but when he arrived our
Mother was unable to receive Holy Viaticum. She was con-
scious, however, and the privation only increased her merit
and revealed to us in a clearer light her admirable virtues.
Though suffering intensely, she awaited death with a peace

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

and serenity which proved that her heart had already found
rest in the Heart of Jesus. She pronounced frequently the
sweet names of Jesus and Mary, pressed the crucifix to her
lips, and often rested her gaze upon a statue of our Blessed
Lady. About five minutes before midnight, while invoking
the sacred name of Jesus, she expired in the peace of the
Lord."

When the tidings of Mother Murphy's death reached
Saint Michael's, Mother Hardey's grief found vent in silent
prayer for the dear departed and in humble acquiescence
to the will of Him who had blessed her with the gift of so
true and loyal a friend. She little dreamed that this painful
loss would prove for herself the immediate cause of her ap-
pointment as superior of Saint Michael's.

In the month of October she received a letter from
Mother Barat, from which we quote the following lines:
"' Try, my dear Aloysia, to aid your superior in maintain-
ing the observance of Rule, the fulfillment of religious ex-
ercises and the practice of the virtues of our holy vocation.
If you have the care of the novices, train them rather by
the force of example than by precept. Hold lovingly to the
observance of poverty and obedience for yourself and for
them. Impress upon them that they cannot be true Reli-
gious of the Sacred Heart, without loving and practising
these virtues, which are the essence of religious life.
Awaken in them zeal for souls, so that from the time of
their noviceship they may take pleasure in teaching the
children, in waiting upon them and especially in serving
the poor.

" If fervor reigns in your house Jesus will bless it and
He will send you subjects. But if you languish in virtue,
if each one prefers her own interests to those of Jesus, then
all will slacken, all will decay, and what a misfortune that
would be in a country where you should become Angels in
order to gain hearts to Jesus Christ."

A few weeks later another letter from the Mother Gen-

CHOLERA AT ST. MICHAEL'S

eral brought the announcement that Mother Bazire was to
go to Grand Coteau and that Mother Hardey was to replace
her as Superior of Saint Michael's.

We find the expression of Mother Hardey's grief and
profound submission in the following letter to Mother
Barat :

" MY VERY REVEREND MOTHER :

" My happiness would have been complete after the re-
ception of your first letter but for the early arrival of an-
other, which has caused me a grief so profound that I know
not how to bear it. I communicated its contents to our
good Bishop, and only for his encouragement I should be
crushed. O, my Mother General ! How can you place such
a burden on your poor Aloysia. How can you make her
unhappy now, when for the past twelve years she has found
only pleasure in the prompt and entire accomplishment of
your will? "

After further respectful protests she says :

" But I shall resist no longer. As a true American I
promise to do my best. If in order to succeed I have only
to follow your counsels, I can answer beforehand for my
success. To receive your precious letters, to keep you faith-
fully informed of all that transpires here will be my great
consolation. I have noted your recommendations and they
shall be followed literally."

In conclusion she says:

" In union with your little family here I place myself at
your feet; bless us and commend us to Him, over whose
Heart your prayer is all powerful."

We can judge by a few extracts from Mother Barat's
letters how she counselled the young superior to begin her
administration : " Copy in everything, my dear daughter,
the mode of government of Mother Aude, who succeeded so
well in your country. . . . Prayer, confidence in Jesus,
will help you much. Be faithful to your spiritual exercises.

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Do not neglect them under pretext of business. You will
always have duties to attend to, but you should rarely sac-
rifice your time of prayer. Observe the same fidelity in re-
gard to your day of recollection once a month and your an-
nual retreat."

We have seen how Mother Hardey's early initiation into
the government of the school and the discharge of other im-
portant offices had prematurely developed her naturally
strong character. The sequel will show that she possessed
in an eminent degree those rare gifts required by the Rule
in one who fills the position of Administrator, Guide and
Mother.

CHAPTER VIII.

MOTHER HARDEY'S ADMINISTRATION AS SUPERIOR — MOTHER

GALITZIN VISITATRIX OF THE AMERICAN

HOUSES — 1836-1841.

Mother Barat once wrote to one of her daughters : " In
order to govern others we must be very humble and pa-
tient. Oh ! how perfect we ought to be when we have to
deal with the imperfect! Are you visited by the Cross?
Welcome it as a friend ; you will find in it a well spring of
spiritual blessings. Are you bent upon winning a soul?
Suffer for it."

In humility and patience, in love of the Cross and in zeal
for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mother Hardey
entered upon the duties of superiority, a burden which she
was destined to carry for fifty years.

A little incident will illustrate the gentleness and tact
which ever marked her intercourse with her daughters. A
Sister who was very fond of Mother Bazire had hoped to
accompany her to Grand Coteau. When she found she was
not to go she was very much disappointed, but she made no
complaint.

Mother Hardey, however, divined her suffering and
hastened to offer sympathy. " My poor child," she said,
" we have imposed on you a great sacrifice, but it is really
because you are so much needed here ; you are so useful in
every way." Not so much the words, but the tone of voice,
so full of maternal interest, touched the heart of the young
Sister, who from that moment conceived a grateful and last-
ing love for her new superior.

Mother Hardey continued to appeal to Mother Aude for
counsel, but it was especially to Mother Barat that she
looked for guidance in every detail of her office. We find
in their mutual correspondence, on the one hand, the sim-

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

plicity of a child and the confidence of a daughter, on the
other the vigor of the Foundress and the tenderness of the
Mother.

In one of these communications, Mother Barat wrote:
'' Your mode of government pleases me very much. It
seems to me to come from God. He will always bless your
obedience and you will gain in proportion. I am greatly
pleased with your simplicity and confidence. ... I
cannot urge you too strongly to ground yourself and your
(laughters in the interior spirit. You do well to arrange
your duties so as to have ample time for meditation and
prayer. How I long to visit your dear Louisiana, but it is
useless to think of it. Later it will be easier for you to come
to France, and what a consolation it will be for me to see
you! While awaiting this happy moment, my daughter,
sanctify yourself daily more and more in order to procure
greater glory to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The desire to
do this should be your only passion. Your heart realizes
the necessity of making reparation for the neglect and for-
getfulness of so many, even His own Spouses, and it is a
consolation for me to find one who like you wishes to love
Him without measure."

The following extract from a letter to Mother Aude
shows in strong relief a distinguishing feature of Mother
Hardey's character, viz., her perfect frankness with her
superiors. " I keep nothing from you, my clear Mother, and
I trust you will be equally candid with me. Do not fear to
pain me by speaking frankly, for I like sincerity and it is
the surest way to gain my confidence. Reserve on your
part would be the only thing that could diminish my un-
bounded reverence and affection for our Mother General
and yourself.

' You may think what you please of me, blame me, re-
prove me, it matters not. You shall know all. Pray for me.
Our Lord has given me much to suffer of late, but I bear all
for the sake of our Mother General."

ADMINISTRATION AS SUPERIOR

Another time she writes to the same : " If my occupa-
tions were in harmony with the sentiments of my heart,
how many letters would be sent to you and our Venerated
Mother! But I have never been less mistress of my time
than since it has pleased Divine Providence to make me a
servant of the servants of Christ. Formerly I could say,
' On such a day I will write to our Mother General and to
my beloved Mother Eugenie.' Now I must be at the serv-
ice of every one night and day. You can understand how
contrary this is to the inclinations of nature.

" I am trying, however, to be patient, for something tells
me that this state of things will not last always. ' Old
times, good old times,' will come again. Have you forgot-
ten your English? Do not forget it. It is the language you
spoke to your little American eighteen years ago."

She then begs Mother Aude to obtain Mother Barat's
authorization for the erection of a building to accommodate
the orphans. " I am distressed," she says, " that I cannot
receive more than fourteen of these dear children. Never
were they so good, nor their relatives so pleased with their
progress, nor requests for admission so frequent. I am ac-
cused of preferring them to the boarders. I shall not deny
it, for love for the orphans is the inheritance I received from
my dear Mother Eugenie."

Saint Teresa says that it is the property of love to be
working in a thousand different ways, and this thought
seems to epitomize Mother Hardey's life as Superior of
Saint Michael's.

We read in a letter written to Mother Barat by the Su-
perior of Baton Rouge : " You will rejoice to hear that the
school now numbers two hundred pupils. Their parents
have the greatest esteem for dear Mother Aloysia Hardey,
and she is much beloved by the Community and the outside
world. What heightens the value of her admirable qualities
is the fact that she is apparently ignorant of them. Our
Lord seems to take delight in blessing all that she under-
takes." 63

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

The convent buildings could no longer suffice for the
accommodation of so many pupils, so it became advisable
for the religious to seek a location elsewhere, especially as
the Church Trustees continued to interfere with every pro-
ject that might better the situation.

At this juncture a beautiful estate about two miles dis-
tant was offered for immediate sale, and as the conditions
were especially advantageous, Mother Hardey determined
to make the purchase.

Her letter to Mother Barat explains the difficulties of
the situation :

" I hesitated, my Very Reverend Mother, about purchas-
ing this property, lest it should not be in accordance with
your wishes; yet your letter of last January gave me the
assurance that I was free to act when circumstances would
not admit of delay. As the purchase has been made condi-
tionally, it may be cancelled if it fails to receive your sanc-
tion. You can form some idea of our present crowded con-
dition when you hear that we lodge two hundred children
in a building which was calculated to accommodate only a
hundred and fifty. I wish you could see for yourself all our
inconveniences. Who knows whether our Sisters of the
Roman Novitiate would ever have enjoyed their present de-
lightful abode, had not you, my venerated Mother, visited
Rome? I am confident you would seek a ' Villa Lante ' for
your family of Saint Michael's were you to witness our
present needs.

" Of late our position here has become intolerable. As
the present cemetery is full, the Trustees are agitating the
question of using the old one, which is in the immediate
vicinity of our house and which was abandoned when we
came here. . . . But our Good Master, while sending
us these crosses, seems to bless our efforts in His service,
for the Community and school were never more numerous.

" We have at present in the house one hundred and
ninety-nine pupils, thirty-six religious, including novices,

ADMINISTRATION AS SUPERIOR

and twenty-five charming little orphans. . . . Although
we desire with the greatest anxiety a favorable reply, be as-
sured, my Very Reverend Mother, that what you decide will
be willingly accepted ; your views will ever be mine. Five
years ago to-day I made my profession. It is thirteen years
since I gave myself to the Society, but only five since I have
been able to say to myself, ' Our Mother, our Society rec-
ognize me for their child, or rather they cannot disown
me.' What a consolation ! There is none greater in this
world ! I have only one regret, that of not having served
the Society better.

" Adieu, my Very Reverend Mother ; ask of Him who
can refuse you nothing, that I may not be lost in trying to
save others. This is my greatest fear, a fear which never
leaves me."

After a delay of several months Mother Barat's approval
of the purchase was received. With a courageous heart
Mother Hardey undertook the erection of the new convent,
but before its completion she was transferred to a distant
field of labor.

In the history of individual souls, sufferings and success
are related to each other as the shadow to the light; the
gloom of one follows the smile of the other. That very suc-
cess which was shedding lustre over the convent at Saint
Michael's was for Mother Hardey the cause of severe trials.
The building of the new convent was in process of erection
when Bishop Blanc ordered Mother Hardey to suspend the
work and remodel the plan on a smaller scale, as he feared
that so large an establishment might injure the prosperity
of the Ursuline Academy in New Orleans ; but as two hun-
dred pupils had to be provided for, the matter was referred
to the Mother General.

In her reply, Mother Barat enjoined the greatest defer-
ence to ecclesiastical authority, explaining at the same time
that concessions could not be made which might prove det-
rimental to the works of the Society. " Should the Bishop

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

command," she wrote, " you must without doubt obey, but
I should be obliged to protest ; in that case I would trans-
plant you to another field of labor. We must be free to fol-
low our vocation." She then advises securing the assist-
ance of an influential ecclesiastic, a friend of the convent,
and very competent to give judicious counsel in this deli-
cate matter.

In writing the lives of the friends of God, the chapter
of trials will always remain incomplete, especially when
there is question of their mission with souls. How much
ingratitude comes to light over which we must throw a veil !
How much anguish of heart, impossible to describe, with-
out betraying the secrecy which charity ordains!

A letter from Mother Barat came to console and
strengthen her daughter Aloysia. It is dated Rome, Febru-
ary 26, 1838. We quote the following extracts: "The af-
fair of the letter which was copied and used against us,
caused me much grief, and in accordance with your advice
we shall take our precautions that a similar occurrence will
not happen in future. Divine Providence has permitted
these difficulties, my dear daughter, in order to try us, and
also to attach me still more to you and to your house. You
belong to the Sacred Heart and you are the first of my
American daughters; is not that sufficient to claim my af-
fection? Besides, naturally, I like your nation and its ex-
cellent qualities, and there is no fear of a misunderstanding
between you and me. I appreciate fully your embarrassing
position. Do not be in the least disturbed by what you may
hear, for this gossip will not make the slightest impression
on me. When I need any explanations I will have recourse
to you and then I shall remain in peace.

" Give up your classes, dear Mother. A superior should
not be overburdened. Employ all the time you can com-
mand in prayer and spiritual reading."

Mother Hardey considered it a happy privilege to com-
ply with this injunction, for it was in prayer that she found

ADMINISTRATION AS SUPERIOR

light and strength to labor for the welfare of the religious
family she so ardently loved.

The interests of the Society were always uppermost in
her thoughts and were always preferred to any personal
considerations. Of this we find a proof in one of her letters
to Mother Aude : " I beg of you, if there should be any ques-
tion of admitting my old Aunt Theresa (Miss Theresa Har-
dey) to oppose it strongly. The Society would gain nothing
by receiving her, although she is so holy. Her advanced
age renders her unfit for our mode of life, and though she
might be able to live according to Rule in what is strictly
essential, her years and incapacity would require dispensa-
tions wholly at variance with religious discipline and the
observance of community life."

Love of rule in its smallest detail was a marked charac-
teristic of Mother Hardey. She herself was the living rule,
regular, punctual, exact, in so easy and natural a manner
that she seemed to be moulded in its spirit ; and in the train-
ing of her daughters she sought to correct all peculiarities
which might conflict even remotely with what is familiarly
known as " common life." Thus we find in the reminis-
ences of Mother Galwey, Vicar of the Missouri Province,
many things which throw light upon Mother Hardey 's
method of training novices in the spirit of their vocation.
Mother Galwey was over thirty years of age at the time of
her admission into the Society, and she had already made
some progress in the ascetic life, under the guidance of
Bishop David, Coadjutor of Bardstown, Kentucky. Shortly
after her entrance, when the novices were preparing to cele-
brate the Feast of St. Stanislaus, their patron, she an-
nounced in Mother Hardey's presence that she had no devo-
tion to " boy saints " ; her patron was St. Ignatius, the illus-
trious founder of the Society of Jesus, but when the feast
day arrived the novices were dispensed from their accus-
tomed duties and left free to enjoy themselves. Madame
Galwey, however, spent the day at her usual occupations.

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Her obedience, always prompt and loving, was ready for
every call, yet as the day wore on she realized that she was
the only novice not enjoying the holiday. In her impulsive
way she went to Mother Hardey to inquire the cause. " Did
you not say," was the answer, " that you had no devotion to
' boy saints? ' " The gentle reproof was understood and re-
membered. Before the lapse of another year St. Stanislaus
had one more loving client.

On another occasion Madame Galwey declared with a
certain emphasis that she objected to changing her bed, as
she could not sleep the first night in a new place. Mother
Hardey made no comment at the time, but towards evening
she sent a message to the novice to put her bed in the gar-
ret. The following day a new resting place was assigned,
the third day another, and so on for twelve consecutive
nights. Madame Galwey understood the motive for these
repeated changes, and in relating the trial of her noviceship
in after years, she remarked that Mother Hardey had taught
her how to find rest in every corner of the Sacred Heart.

Training such as this helped to temper the strong char-
acter of the novice, and at the expiration of her two years'
noviceship, when she made her First Vows, she was found
competent to fulfill the office of assistant superior.

In this position her experience, judgment and ability
enabled her to render valuable services to her superior, but
the youthful appearance of the latter was on several occa-
sions the cause of amusing mistakes. Thus once, when a
gentleman called to make inquiries about the school,
Mother Hardey presented herself to give the required in-
formation. The visitor stated that he wished to place his
daughter at the school and therefore desired to transact his
business with the superior, or at least with one of the older
religious. Without a word, Mother Hardey amiably with-
drew and sent Mother Galwey, whose mature appearance
proved satisfactory.

On another occasion a gentleman refused to tell her the

ADMINISTRATION AS SUPERIOR

object of his visit as it was a matter of great importance
which he could not communicate to any one but the supe-
rior. This time Mother Hardey was obliged to admit that
she held that office. " What," he exclaimed, " you the supe-
rior? How could anyone appoint a youngster like you to
such a position? " " It is a surprise to myself," she quietly
answered, " and soon my superiors will discover their mis-
take." Before the close of the interview, however, her visi-
tor recognized the maturity of her judgment, and in offer-
ing his apology declared that it was not folly, but wisdom
had prompted her appointment.

Between the years 1839 and 1842, the Society of the
Sacred Heart passed through a crisis which proved that its
strength was from God and that its foundress was well
grounded in humility.

The rapid growth of the Society seemed to require cer-
tain amendments to the Rules, but only in matters of sec-
ondary importance. At the Council convened in 1839, some
changes were introduced, which appeared to conflict with
the original Plan of the Institute. When these decrees were
promulgated, remonstrances were sent to the Mother Gen-
eral from all quarters. She had the sorrow to realize that
she was opposed by many of her daughters, upon whom she
relied for help in the hour of her great perplexity.

It does not enter into our narrative to give the history
of this painful episode, which called forth a protest from the
Minister of Public Worship in France, engaged the paternal
interest of a large body of the French episcopacy, as also of
the great Cardinals Pedicini and Lambruschini, and lastly
drew from the Sovereign Pontiff, Gregory XVI., the defi-
nite word, touching the important questions at issue.

We alluded to the event here, because it offers a new
proof of Mother Hardey's adherence to authority in the per-
son of the Mother General. While the Decrees met with
opposition in some of the convents in America as well as in
France, they were cordially received at Saint Michael's.

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Thus, in writing to Mother Barat on the subject, Mother
Hardey says : " During vacation Monseigneur Forbin Jan-
son gave us our annual retreat. We took occasion of that
season of grace to read the Decrees, and we began at once
to conform to them."

Mother Barat appreciated the prompt and entire sub-
mission of her daughters and wrote in reply : " What con-
solation you have given me, my dear Aloysia, by your read-
iness to make essay of the new Decrees. Your prompt obe-
dience will be very pleasing to God. . . . Jesus will
surely bless it." She then urges Mother Hardey to take
care of her health. ' Try to spare yourself, for you have
much to do for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and
the good of souls.

This letter was soon followed by another, in which she
announced the approaching departure of a Visitatrix for
America. This measure had been decided upon in the
Council of 1839, m order to secure that uniformity of cus-
toms and observances so conducive to union of minds and
hearts. Mother Elizabeth Galitzin, one of the Assistants
General, was chosen for this important mission.

This remarkable woman was illustrious by birth, char-
acter and education. Born in Saint Petersburg, 1795, of the
princely race of Galitzin, she was brought up in the Rus-
sian schism, and was deeply imbued with its spirit of hos-
tility to the Roman Catholic Church. Left fatherless in her
infancy by the death of Prince Alexis Andrievitch, her edu-
cation was carefully directed by her mother, the Countess
of Protosof, who employed scholarly tutors to cultivate the
mind of this highly gifted girl. Elizabeth acquired a knowl-
edge of Latin and learned to speak and write with great
fluency French and English. The fine arts also held a con-
spicuous part in her education. Her mother loved her, but
treated her harshly, and even allowed her tutors to beat
her cruelly. Under this influence she developed a stern,
inflexible character, " hard as steel with a heart as true as
gold." ?o

ADMINISTRATION AS SUPERIOR

At the age of sixteen she was informed of an event,
which, for a time, filled her heart with bitter hatred towards
the Catholic Church and especially towards the Jesuits, who
had a house of the Order in St. Petersburg. We give the
account in her own words : " My mother called me to her
room and told me she was about to confide to me a secret,
which I was not to reveal to anyone, lest we should be ex-
posed to exile and even to death. She then went on to say
that she had been received into the Catholic Church nearly
ten years before, giving me her reasons for leaving the
Greek schism in spite of the laws of Russia and the terrible
example of the tortures inflicted upon one of my ancestors
for his conversion to the Catholic Faith."*

The announcement of the conversion of her mother
caused such violent agitation in the mind of the young prin-
cess that she registered in her own blood a vow of hatred
against the Catholic Church, and the Jesuits in particular,
invoking the Divine wrath upon her future life should she
ever prove faithless to her solemn engagement.

Four years later, however, that strong nature yielded to
the touch of grace, and she requested baptism on bended
knees from Reverend Father Rosaven, Superior of the Jes-
uits. He inquired if she was ready to suffer persecution and
even death, perhaps, for the sake of the religion she wished
to embrace. " I hope all things through the mercy of God,"
was her ready answer, although she relates the blood
seemed to freeze in her veins as she pronounced the words.

After entering the Church, she resolved to become a reli-
gious. In 1812 the Jesuits were expelled from Russia, but
Father Rosaven continued, from afar, to direct his spiritual
daughter. He spoke of her to Mother Barat, who seconded

* Prince Michael Galitzin, who having become a Roman Catholic was forced
by the Empress Anne to play the part of Court buffoon, and to submit to a mock
marriage in the celebrated " Ice Palace." which she had caused to be erected on
the frozen surface of the River Neva. Though his sufferings were intense, he
survived the cruel treatment and adorned his name by his Christian and princely
virtues.

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

his efforts to direct this soul according to the designs of
Providence. Ten years after her conversion she was ad-
mitted into the Society of the Sacred Heart. She had no
dowry, owing to her mother's opposition to her becoming a
religious, but this circumstance only secured for her a more
heartfelt welcome from Mother Barat. " I shall be de-
lighted to receive you," she wrote, " with nothing but the
clothes you are wearing, as St. Francis Borgia received the
young Stanislas Kostka. The choice and admission of a sub-
ject will never be with us a pecuniary affair. A good voca-
tion, a good spirit and some degree of talent are all the
dowry we require. If you bring us a soul thoroughly de-
tached from the things of this world you will be rich, my
dear child, and we shall welcome you with joy."

As a novice, Madame Galitzin was remarkably cheerful
and submissive to all the requirements of religious life.

Her obedience was striking. " I may be wanting in
many virtues," she once remarked, " but when I stand at
the gate of Heaven I wish to be able to say, ' Open to me,
for I have obeyed.' "

After her religious profession she was named Secretary
General of the Society, an office for which she was eminent-
ly fitted by her knowledge of foreign languages, her excel-
lent judgment and sterling virtues.

Such was the religious appointed to visit the American
houses, and of whom Mother Barat wrote to Mother Har-
dey: "Strive to enter fully into her views for the greater
glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and for the good of
souls ; yet, my daughter, it will not be contrary to the per-
fection of obedience to make known to her the customs of
your country and the inconveniences which might arise
from the adoption of certain measures or regulations pro-
posed by her. She will profit by your counsel and experi-
ence, and you will be able to speak to her with all the more
liberty if you are disposed to yield to whatsoever she may
deem advisable for the greater glory of God."

CHAPTER IX.

MOTHER GALITZIN VISITS SAINT MICHAEL'S — FOUNDATION
IN NEW YORK — MOTHER HARDEY LEAVES SAINT MI-
CHAEL'S— DEATH OF MOTHER AUDE — 1841-1842.

Mother Galitzin was warmly welcomed on her arrival
in New York by Bishop Dubois, who had been urging
Mother Barat for many years to establish a house of her
society in his diocese.

This desire of the venerable prelate may be said to date
back to July 3ist, 1827, when the sailing vessel Edward
Quesnel entered the harbor of New York after a voyage
of forty-five days across the Atlantic.

Among the passengers on board were two young priests
who had studied at St. Sulpice, Samuel Eccleston and J. B.
Purcell, both of whom became subsequently Archbishops of
Baltimore and Cincinnati. The Reverend Clergymen had
under their care four religious of the Sacred Heart, Mes-
dames Du Four, Dorival, Vandamme and Piveteau. From
the journal of Madame Piveteau we learn many interesting
details of the voyage, especially of the anxiety of the nuns
to reach land in time to hear Mass and receive Holy Com-
munion on the Feast of St. Ignatius, to whose patronage
they had confided their new mission.

To gratify their devotion, Rev. J. B. Purcell took them
ashore in a row boat, then accompanied them to the Cathe-
dral, where he offered the Holy Sacrifice for a safe voyage.
The religious were most cordially received by Bishop Du-
bois, who obtained hospitality for them in the Wilcox family.
They tarried only a few days before starting on their west-
ern journey, but the impression which they gave of their
Institute was so favorable that it bore fruit in later years.

Bishop Dubois wrote to Mother Barat in the month of
October, 1827: " It was my intention to visit you and your

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

pious associates in Paris in order to give you a better idea
of our country before asking you to establish a house in
New York. There is no doubt as to the success of an order
like yours in this city; indeed, it is greatly needed; but a
considerable sum of money would be required to supply the
urgent needs of the foundation. The Catholic population,
which averages over thirty thousand souls, is very poor, be-
ing chiefly composed of Irish emigrants. Contributions
from Protestants are so uncertain and property in the city
so expensive, that I cannot promise any assistance. All I
can say is that I believe one of your schools, commenced
with sufficient money to purchase property and support it-
self, until the ladies have time to make themselves known,
would succeed beyond all our expectations."

After expressing the hope of seeing her on his approach-
ing visit to Rome, he adds: " I have the sorrow of witness-
ing an abundant harvest rotting in the earth, through lack
of Apostolic laborers and the necessary funds to organize
the various needs of the diocese. In the meantime, dear
Madame, please to prepare subjects for me. If my plans
meet with success, I shall be able to conduct hither on my
return a colony of your angels of virtue and zeal. Believe
me, I am penetrated with respect and esteem for your holy
Congregation, as also for you, Madame, its worthy Supe-
rior and Foundress."

This appeal was in accordance with the wishes of
Mother Barat, who earnestly wished to establish at some
future day a house of her Institute in the Metropolis of the
Western Hemisphere. But lack of resources constrained
her to delay the execution of her plan, as it was neither ad-
visable nor possible to start the work under those restric-
tions of poverty which weighed so heavily on the founda-
tions made in Missouri and Louisiana.

Bishop Dubois was not discouraged by this first refusal,
and when Mother Aude left for France in 1833, his lordship
confided to her the following letter to Mother Barat :

MOTHER GALITZIN VISITS ST. MICHAEL'S

" You would have a poor opinion of my eagerness to pos-
sess a branch of your dear and holy Community, were you
to judge of it by my long silence on the subject. Although
I am convinced of the boundless good which it would ac-
complish and of its certain success, yet I have not concealed
from myself, nor from you, the difficulties to be encoun-
tered in the beginning.

" The presence of Madame Eugenie has revived all my
hopes. She has seen and pointed out to me what might be
accomplished. I do not believe the obstacles are insur-
mountable. Some efforts and sacrifices made in favor of
this foundation would produce the most brilliant and con-
soling results. I leave details to good Mother Eugenie, who
will make known to you all that she has seen and heard."

Mother Eugenie's report only confirmed the Mother
General in her opinion that the moment appointed by Di-
vine Providence had not yet arrived, but seven years later,
Bishop Hughes, Coadjutor to Bishop Dubois, went to see
Mother Barat and refused to leave the house until she gave
him her promise to send Mother Galitzin to make the nec-
essary arrangements.

Mother Galitzin's arrival in New York awakened gen-
eral interest in the foundation. The principal ladies in the
city, Protestant as well as Catholic, wished to be presented
to her, as her name and relationship to Prince Galitzin, the
saintly Apostle of Pennsylvania, had created quite a sensa-
tion in social circles. Bishop Hughes conducted her
through various parts of the city in search of a suitable lo-
cation, but though unable to find one at the time, Mother
Galitzin realized that New York would be a great field for
the works of the Society, and before leaving she promised
to open an Academy in the course of the following year.

From Missouri she went to St. Michael's, where she was
eagerly expected by the Community and pupils, though a
feeling of awe mingled with their joy, at receiving a prin-

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

cess whose conversion had aroused interest even in Amer-
ica. " For myself," said Mother Hardey, speaking of the
event, " I dreaded the ordeal of meeting her, but I tried to
find consolation in the thought that she was the representa-
tive of our Mother General."

As the hour of arrival drew near, the Community as-
sembled to give formal greeting to the Mother Visitatrix.
When the carriage reached the house, a religious of small
stature and simple bearing alighted and hurriedly inquired
for the superior. Mother Hardey at once presented herself.
" My dear," said Mother Galitzin, " we met a man on the
boat who is selling very fine cabbages at a very low price.
It is a great bargain ; send some one to buy them." After
such a salutation, it was easy to forget the rank of the prin-
cess in the humble religious whose love for holy poverty
was manifested in such a practical way. Her frank, open,
earnestness of manner immediately captivated all hearts.
Mother Hardey wrote of her in the following terms to
Mother Barat : " You could not have found a more worthy
representative, or one whose manners and views are better
adapted to our country. She has gained the confidence of
our family and all hearts are already devoted to her. For
myself, I acknowledge that the capacity in which she comes
would have sufficed to win my respect, but not that perfect
confidence which she inspired at first sight. Ah ! I can ap-
preciate the sacrifice you have made in parting with this
dear Mother ! I trust the good which she is destined to ac-
complish among your American daughters may compensate
you for her absence."

Mother Galitzin on her part, recognized the excellent
qualities of Mother Hardey, and her letters prove the
esteem in which she held her. Writing from New York,
whither she had gone to make the final arrangements for
the foundation, she says : " The time is approaching when
I am to take part in the General Congregation. I shall keep

MOTHER GALITZIN VISITS ST. MICHAEL'S

my title of Provincial until the nomination of my successor.
Madame Hardey could fill the position and she is the only
one here capable of this charge. When you know her inti-
mately you will be convinced that she is endowed with rare
capacity for government. If you name her Provincial on
her return to America, the nomination will be favorably re-
ceived in all our houses. Our communities have the highest
idea of her merit and she enjoys universal esteem. Her rep-
utation has preceded her to this city. I am convinced that
under her direction the Academy here will be most suc-
cessful."

Before Mother Galitzin's arrival in America Mother
Barat had written to Mother Hardey of her desire to see
her: " When your Visitatrix has reached St. Michael's, per-
haps you could be spared to bring us a few of your reli-
gious. This is a desire, not a probability, for St. Michael's
will long have need of your care. Yet I am anxious to see
you and live with you for a few months at least. I can no
longer hope to go to America. I am too old, but I long to
become acquainted with my first American daughter. I
leave this desire to Our Lord, who will one day realize it if
it is for His glory. Give me your opinion on the subject,
for I would sacrifice everything rather than injure a family
which is so dear to me."

Thus it was just when St. Michael's was at the height
of its prosperity that Mother Hardey was called to a new
field of labor. In view of the importance of the New York
foundation, Mother Barat consented to the proposition of
Mother Galitzin, and with breaking hearts her daughters
offered their sacrifice. In the Annals of St. Michael's we
find this paragraph : " In the departure of Mother Aloysia
many of the Community have lost their first Mistress of
Class, their companion in the Novitiate, or their first Supe-
rior, and all deeply regret the beloved Mother whose only
aim was to promote their truest happiness and to enkindle
in their souls love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus."

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Mother Hardey and her companion probably travelled
to New York by way of Cincinnati, as we learn from the
following letter from Bishop Purcell addressed to Mr. Mark
Anthony Frenaye of Philadelphia:

" CINCINNATI, 8 May, 1841.
" MY DEAR MR. FRENAYE :

" Madame Aloysia Hardey and Madame Hogan, who are
on their way to New York to commence a boarding school
under the auspices of Bishop Hughes, have no acquaint-
ances in Philadelphia. I therefore earnestly recommend
them to your care. I am sure either the good Sisters or
Madame Lajus, or some other Catholic lady will be de-
lighted to lodge them for twenty-four hours, if they can
stay in your fair city so long.

" Please present me most respectfully to your saintly
Bishop and Rev. Messrs. Gartland, Sourin and Bishop
Kenrick.

"Most respectfully yours,

"J. B. PURCELL."*

Madame Galitzin, with Mesdames Thieffry and Shan-
non, went to New York early in May, 1841. They were
joined by Mother Hardey and Madame Hogan, a niece of
Madame Galwey, on the I7th of the month, and a few days
later Madame Boilevin, Sister Gallien and Delphine Pratt,
an orphan, arrived from St. Louis.

Bishop Hughes secured hospitality for the religious with
the Sisters of Charity at St. Patrick's orphan asylum, while
awaiting possession of the house which he had rented for
them, and one of the religious writes : " We were guests of
the good Sisters for three months, receiving daily every
mark of kindness and courtesy which true charity delights
to bestow. Far from looking unfavorably upon our advent

* Selections of letters of the late Mark Anthony Frenaye published in the
Records of the American Catholic Historical Society, Philadelphia, December, 1902.

MOTHER GALITZIN VISITS ST. MICHAEL'S

into the diocese, they interested themselves in securing for
us both pupils and postulants, and constantly proved them-
selves true spouses of a God who is all charity."

The house destined for the Sacred Heart Academy had
been occupied for years as a school, under the direction of
Madame Chegary, a French refugee, who had sought a
home in America, far from the terrors of the Revolution in
her native land. In the early part of the century her Acad-
emy had enjoyed a brilliant reputation and had become cele-
brated as the Alma Mater of many of the daughters of the
best families of the States. It was pleasantly situated on
the corner of Houston and Mulberry Streets, a part of the
city not then invaded by the march of traffic. The spacious
apartments, communicating by massive folding doors, the
commodious arrangements of the building and the pleasant
garden outside, adapted the place in a special manner to
the purposes of a convent school. It had ceased to be a
home of learning and had become a boarding house, kept
by a Mrs. Seton, at the time the Bishop secured it for the
religious of the Sacred Heart. The good lady promised to
vacate the premises on the 1st of June, when the lease of
her last boarder expired. But it was discovered that as soon
as one occupant left, she rented the room to another.

" In this way," said Mother Hardey, " we may be kept
waiting indefinitely. Meanwhile we are doing nothing and
are trespassing upon the hospitality of the good Sisters. We
must assert our rights by resorting to prompt and decisive
measures."

With the consent of Mother Galitzin she repaired to
Houston Street and informed Mrs. Seton that she had come
to take possession of the vacant apartments, in order to pre-
pare for the opening of the school. She established herself
in one unoccupied room with two postulants, and, as each
room was vacated, they cleaned and prepared it for the spe-
cial use for which it was destined. The weeks that followed
were full of labor, difficulties and privations, but in the

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

midst of her trials Mother Hardey never lost her courage
and unalterable calm. One of the postulants was taken sud-
denly with a severe hemorrhage, which reduced her to the
last extremity. Sending the other postulant for the priest
and doctor, Mother Hardey herself washed the feet and
made all the necessary preparations for the administration
of the sacraments. Happily, the girl did not die, but her
long convalescence was an additional care to the devoted
Mother, who cheered the invalid with the assurance that
she considered her a special benediction to the house.

" During those weary days," writes one who afterwards
became her daughter, " I frequently visited Mother Hardey
and I was always impressed by her air of peace, recollec-
tion and cheerful acceptance of the sacrifices which daily
presented themselves. I made myself her commissioner
and I thus had innumerable opportunities of observing her
sustained calmness and self-forgetfulness. One Sunday I
called and asked to accompany her to the Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament. She declined my offer, saying that she
disliked to go to the Cathedral, except for Holy Mass. I
proposed a walk to the orphan asylum where the venerable
Bishop Dubois was to give Benediction. On obtaining her
consent, I hastened to the episcopal residence and asked
the Bishop to await our arrival. He kindly assented, and I
went on my way rejoicing to have secured for Mother Har-
dey a privilege which I knew would prove a great solace to
her. Alas! for the memory of the aged prelate! When we
arrived he was preparing to return home. ' O, Monseig-
neur,' I exclaimed, ' you promised to wait for us ! ' ' Did I,
my child,' said he, trying to recall his promise, ' how sorry
T am, but I forgot all about it.'

" I was distressed to have brought Mother Hardey
through the streets to no purpose ; but there was no trace of
disappointment on her countenance. ' We shall at least ob-
tain the Bishop's blessing,' she said, ' and have a little time
in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, a privilege

First New York Convent, Houston and Mulberry Streets,
later Convent of Sisters of Mercy

MOTHER GALITZIN VISITS ST. MICHAEL'S

which I do not often enjoy at present.' Thus did she find
compensation for every disappointment and persuade those
who wished to serve her that they had not entirely failed."

The I3th of July, Mother Galitzin and her companions
took possession of their new home. That same day Bishop
Hughes came to bless the little community, and on the fol-
lowing morning he offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
in their modest chapel. He never ceased to prove himself
their gracious father and benefactor, as is testified repeat-
edly in the records of the Houston Street Convent.

On the 22nd of July, feast of St. Mary Magdalen, the pa-
troness of Mother Barat, His Lordship said Mass for the
second time, and again on the Feast of St. Ignatius, when
he blessed the house and solemnly installed our Divine Lord
in His Tabernacle Home.

Mother Galitzin thus describes to Mother Barat their
new abode : " The house is situated in a charming position.
It will be a joy for me to show it to Mother Sallion. She
will be astonished to find that we have spent so little money,
considering that we have renovated every room from garret
to cellar, and they number thirty. The part destined for
the chapel, the parlors and the pupils is really very fine;
that set apart for the community is, thank God, simplicity
itself, and poverty reigns there supreme. The parlors are
very simple in their elegance, for we have them carpeted.
We could not do otherwise, as carpets are used here in all
the houses, even in kitchens, and the Sisters of Charity also
have them in their parlors. Our chapel will be beautiful.
I drew the design of the Altar and Tabernacle and I am
happy to say that everyone is in admiration of my good
taste. We have several applications already and it is
thought we shall have a large school."

The first to apply for admission to the Academy was a
little girl thirteen years of age. She asked to be received as
a free pupil, her mother being unable to pay the pension.
Mother Hardey was touched by the child's simplicity and

6 81

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

accepted her at once, feeling confident that the child of pov-
erty was the child of the Heart of Jesus, and, as their first
pupil, would bring a blessing to the school. Her hopes were
more than realized. The young girl was gifted with rare
intelligence and exceptional aptitude for all branches of
studies. When her education was completed she entered
the Society and throughout her religious life cherished a
child's deepest gratitude to Mother Hardey. She was a
most efficient and successful mistress in the school, and for
several years held the office of superior in various convents
of the Order, until she was called to her eternal reward in
1862.

Once the school was well organized, Mother Galitzin
was anxious to start for Europe, but she had to wait until
the arrival of the reinforcement promised by Mother Barat.
In her letters she urges the Mother General not to delay, as
the school was becoming very numerous and Mother Har-
dey could not be spared. " She is my right hand," she
writes ; " we act in perfect harmony. Everyone admires
her, and she is making the reputation of the house. What
happiness it will give me to present her to you."

On the I3th of September Mesdames Sallion, Tucker,
Talbot and Sister Battandier arrived and were cordially
welcomed by Mother Galitzin and her daughters. In the
exuberance of her joy, Sister Gallien rang the convent bell
so vigorously that the neighbors thought the house was
on fire and rushed to the rescue. We can picture the dis-
may of the nuns to find the house surrounded by a motley
crowd, greatly disappointed that their curiosity could not
be gratified by a view of the cloister.

The travellers brought two letters to Mother Hardey
from Mother Barat. In the first, dated Paris, 15 June, 1841,
we read : " You will be consoled, I am sure, by the good
news which our Mothers will communicate to you. Our
foundations seem to prosper, thanks to the Divine Good-
ness which deigns to make use of instruments so poor and

MOTHER GALITZIN VISITS ST. MICHAEL'S

unworthy, to promote the glory of the Sacred Heart. . . .
As to the present state of affairs in the Society, I have only
one word to say to you. Hold fast to the trunk of the tree,
no matter what you may hear! Make known to me your
doubts, your uneasiness, for we shall always understand
each other. My Compass shall ever be the See of Peter, the
Vicar of Jesus Christ. Directed by it we can never err, and
we should rather die than swerve from its guidance.

" However, things are calming down by degrees around
us. Each one is trying to do all she can for the good of the
Society, so I hope that Jesus will continue to bless us. He
will bless you especially, dear Aloysia, if you understand
the importance of your obligations. Unite yourself to Jesus
and count upon His help rather than your own capabilities,
for self-reliance usually spoils everything."

In this letter Mother Barat refers to the differences of
opinion among her daughters in regard to the Decrees of
the Council of 1839. The subject was to be settled at the
approaching General Council, of which Mother Galitzin
was a member. As we have already learned, she chose
Mother Hardey as the representative from America, to the
great satisfaction of Mother Barat, as expressed in the fol-
lowing lines :

"PARIS, AUGUST 21, 1841.
"Mv DEAR ALOYSIA :

" Our Mother Provincial could not have given me a
greater pleasure than to choose you as her companion to
the Council, where you will have the opportunity of meeting
nearly all the first Mothers of the Society. I have at last
the hope of seeing you, if the Good Master will sustain my
feeble existence until then, and what consolation this meet-
ing will give me! Take care of your health, my daughter,
so that there may be no obstacle to your departure. As
soon as I reach Rome, whither I am going in a few weeks,
I shall settle the date of the Council and the time for you to
leave America."

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Mother Hardey rejoiced at the prospect of meeting her
venerated Mother General, and of seeing once again her
beloved Mother Aude, who was then Superior of the Trinita
in Rome. But the latter joy was to be reserved for Heaven.
Mother Aude died on the 6th of March, 1842, and, by a dis-
pensation of Divine Providence, Mother Hardey only
learned the news as she was about to enter the chapel,
where the mortuary notice was hanging. Our Lord, no
doubt, wished to be Himself the first to receive the outpour-
ings of a grief which He alone could console, as He was the
only one who understood the ties of affection and gratitude
which bound her to the Mother who had been the channel
of His graces to her.

A circular letter from Mother Barat to the Society, dated
March 7th, 1842, gave the details of Mother Aude's last
moments:

" Yesterday at 7 p.m. our dear invalid gave up her soul
into the hands of her Creator. The agony began about
noon, and shortly after she lost consciousness. She had ap-
peared during the morning as well as on the previous days,
so I secured Confession and Holy Communion for her, that
she might gain the Indulgence of the Jubilee which opened
that day.

" While she was fully conscious, Father Rosaven gave
her the last Sacraments ; an hour after would have been too
late. During the long and painful agony, priests and re-
ligious succeeded one another in reciting the prayers of the
Church for the dying. Her dispositions were those of a
saint, full of resignation, confidence and the sweetest peace."

The body of Mother Aude was laid to rest in the crypt
beneath the high altar of the Church of the Trinita, and, as
if to give a touching emphasis to the memory of her mission
in America, a former pupil of St. Michael's, attended by her
negro slave, was present at the funeral service.

CHAPTER X.

VISIT TO ROME — RETREAT AT LYONS — RETURN TO NEW

YORK — FOUNDATION IN CANADA — DEATH OF

MOTHER GALITZIN — 1842-1844.

As the New York foundation was now established on a
firm basis, Mothers Galitzin and Hardey left it in charge of
Mother Bathilde Sallion, and sailed for France on the iQth
of May, 1842. Six weeks later they landed at Havre, and
after resting in Paris for a few days proceeded to Rome,
where the Council was to be convened.

They were warmly received by their warm-hearted Ital-
ian Sisters, but great was their disappointment to find that
Mother Barat had been obliged, through force of circum-
stances, to leave Rome on the 2ist of June. She had re-
turned to France to calm the agitation caused by her pro-
tracted absence. Moreover the Cardinals, who were friends
of the Society, advised her to hold the General Council at
Lyons, as neutral ground between Rome and Paris.

The brief stay of the Mothers from America in the Eter-
nal City abounded in holy joys. For Mother Galitzin, it
revived old associations and tender memories, while for
Mother Hardey it offered new and deeper happiness. There
she drank in fresh draughts of faith and piety in her visits to
the Tomb of the Apostles and the great Basilicas, and in
treading the Arena purpled with the blood of the Martyrs.
But the privilege most dearly prized was an audience with
Gregory XVI. She and Mother Galitzin were presented to
His Holiness by Bishop Rosati of St. Louis. This devoted
friend took pleasure in recounting to the Holy Father the
good effected by the Religious of the Sacred Heart in
America, and the field of usefulness yet open to them.

The story deeply interested the Pope, and in witnessing
the great concern which he manifested in the welfare of

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

their far-off missions his spiritual daughters realized more
than ever before how truly the Pope is the Father of
Christendom.

Mother Hardey held as an unfailing joy the memory of
the Pontiff's benediction bestowed with so much unction
upon herself and her religious family and their works. She
treasured until her death, as a precious souvenir of this visit,
a little bronze medal given her by Gregory XVI.

At the Convent of the Trinita she had the sad consola-
tion of kneeling at the tomb of her beloved Mother Aude,
and of hearing from the religious how often their regretted
Mother had spoken to them of her " dear Aloysia " in con-
nection with her Louisiana Mission.

We find a record of this visit in the annals of the Trinita :

" The meeting with our American Mothers was a strik-
ing example of the beautiful spirit of union which exists
among the members of our loved Society. How close are
the ties which bind us even when farthest separated and
how easily we become acquainted when we meet."

At the Convent of Santa Rufina, Mother Hardey had the
pleasure of making the acquaintance of Mother Lehon, who
became the third Superior General of the Society. In con-
nection with this meeting Mother Lehon kept the remem-
brance of having received from Mother Hardey the first
steel pen she had ever seen, as this modern invention had
not yet usurped the place of the time honored quill.

It was well known in Rome that the object of the ap-
proaching Council was to settle the question of the Decrees
of 1839. In this important matter Rev. Father Rosaven,
Assistant General of the Jesuits, took very special interest,
and he was anxious to know the sentiments of the American
Mother. In an interview with Mother Hardey he inquired
if she knew for what purpose she had been called to Rome.
" Yes, Reverend Father," she replied, " I have come to
obey." "On which side are you?" he continued, referring
to Mother Barat and the party opposed to her views. " On

VISIT TO ROME

the side of authority," was Mother Hardey's quick rejoinder,
and she spoke truly; from the beginning to the end of her
long career she was always to be found on the " side of
authority ! "

At this particular epoch, her adhesion to the first author-
ity was all the more remarkable as it placed her in direct
opposition to Mother Galitzin, who had been the chief
author and promoter of the objectionable Decrees, but her
affection for the Mother Provincial gave way before that
strong principle of obedience which she maintained in all
its integrity to the end of her days.

On the i6th of July Mothers Galitzin and Hardey left
Rome for Lyons, where Mother Barat was awaiting the
members of the Council at the Convent of La Ferrandiere.
It was a memorable event for Mother Hardey. For the first
time she found herself in presence of the Mother General.
The latter was so surprised at her youthful appearance that
she exclaimed : " How young she is ! " " Yes, Reverend
Mother," replied Mother Galitzin, " but that is a fault which
she will correct every day."

Mother Barat had hoped for great results from the Coun-
cil of Lyons. But when all the members were assembled, an
unforeseen difficulty obliged the Convocation to adjourn.

Monseigneur Affre, Archbishop of Paris, claiming author-
ity over the Society of the Sacred Heart, condemned as
irregular any meeting of the Council elsewhere than at the
Mother House in Paris, and notified all the Bishops in
France who had convents of the Society in their dioceses,
of his opposition to the meeting in Lyons, as well as to the
Decrees of 1839. Twenty-two Bishops gave their adhesion
to his protests.

Having tried in vain to propitiate His Grace, the Mother
General was forced once more to appeal to the Sovereign
Pontiff. A commission, consisting of eight Cardinals, was
appointed by Gregory XVI. to inquire into this urgent ques-
tion, and in the meantime the opening of the Council was

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

deferred. Mother Barat proposed to the councillors to enter
into retreat. " We must lift up our hands to God, who is
our Hope," she said, " for in man we have none ! " She re-
paired with her companions to the Convent of " Les
Anglais," situated on the heights of Fourvieres.

Father Barelle, S.J., a man of eminent sanctity and elo-
quence, gave the spiritual exercises. He seemed to be di-
vinely inspired. " This retreat," writes Monseigneur Bau-
nard, " in the midst of hot contests and sharp trials, was like
a fountain in the desert." Mother Barat afterwards de-
clared she had never heard anything like it.

The effect was an abundance of light for all, and a closer
union of hearts, even while minds were divided on the ques-
tions at issue.

Mother Hardey's share in the blessings of this retreat
was abundant and lasting, but even during it trials were not
wanting to purify her virtues. She was charged with the
care of the altar, a privilege she greatly appreciated. One
morning, however, she had the misfortune to miscalculate
the number of Hosts for consecration, and the priest dis-
tributed all the particles at Holy Communion, forgetting
there was no reserved Host in the Tabernacle.

It is easy to appreciate Mother Hardey's feelings when
she realized what had happened. But her own grief was as
nothing compared to that of Mother Barat on learning that
they were to live a whole day without the Blessed Sacra-
ment. Mother Hardey was terror stricken to see this ven-
erated Mother fall on her knees and with hands upraised to
Heaven exclaim, " O Lord 1 Have our sins forced Thee also
to abandon us?" Tears and sobs choked the utterance of
the heart-broken superior, who mourned all day and would
not be comforted for the loss of her Eucharistic Lord.
Mother Hardey's own anguish of soul can be more readily
imagined than described.

On another occasion she broke one of the only pair of
altar vases they had in the house. This time Mother Barat

VISIT TO ROME

only smiled, telling her to confide her hands to the care of
her good angel, that they might be less destructive.
Humiliations such as these were keenly felt by Mother Har-
dey, who often related them in after years for the purpose of
consoling her daughters in similar trials.

Before the close of the retreat Mother Galitzin felt in-
spired to offer herself to God as a victim for the welfare of
the Society. Her impulsive nature and arbitrary conduct
had been the cause of great suffering to Mother Barat, but
her generosity was now to repair the errors of the past.
The sacrifice so heroically made was sanctioned by Mother
Barat and Father Barelle, and courageously signed by the
hand of her who thus pledged herself to become a holocaust
of reparation.

In the month of August a duplicate Brief was issued in
Rome for the Cardinal Protector and Monseigneur Affre, in-
forming the latter that his office of Archbishop of Paris gave
him no special rights or jurisdiction over the whole Society
of the Sacred Heart.

At this juncture a new complication arose. A protest on
the part of the French Government threatened the Society
with destruction, if certain provisions of the new Decrees
should be made to supersede the Statutes approved by the
State in 1827, in which Paris was named as the residence
of the Mother General. The transference of her residence
to Rome as decided in the new Decrees was looked upon as
a violation of the Statutes, and the confiscation of the prop-
erty of the Society was one of the penalties threatened.

Under these apprehensions the Council adjourned its
sittings to an indefinite time, and the members dispersed to
their respective homes. The Superior General left Lyons
for Paris on the Qth of November and the decision of the
momentous question was again referred to the Holy See.

During these troubled days Mother Hardey was silently
gaining light and strength for future needs. She had known
but little of that repose found apart from the busy sphere

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

of active labors, hence her sojourn near the saintly Foun-
dress and the example of virtues carried to heroism which
.she witnessed around her formed an epoch in her own
spiritual life. Moreover, Father Barelle understood and
appreciated the grand capabilities of her strong character, as
we learn from his letters of direction, extracts from which
we shall give later.

On leaving " Les Anglais," Mother Hardey spent some
weeks at La Ferrandiere. In presenting her to the novices,
Mother Galitzin made an eloquent appeal to their mission-
ary spirit, pointing to America as a broad field for the ex-
ercise of their Apostolic zeal. Madame Bullion, one of the
novices, longed to go to the foreign Missions, so she sought
opportunities to speak to the American Mother.

" During the serious illness of Mother Galitzin," she
writes : " it was my privilege to prepare the little altar in
her room when Holy Communion was brought to her, and
as I passed to and fro I cast many a glance at Mother Har-
dey, who occupied the room adjoining. The very sight of
her made me think of God and of our Holy Rule. She was
usually seated at her desk writing. Once I ventured to
enter and whisper, ' Mother, will you pray that I may be one
of your daughters in America? ' She said not a word, but
gave assent by a gentle inclination of the head and a
gracious smile. Her fidelity to silence impressed me so
forcibly that I never forgot it."

Before returning to America Mother Hardey had the
pleasure of visiting several convents in France and Bel-
gium, and of making the acquaintance of many of Mother
Barat's first daughters in the early days of the Society.

She sailed from Havre on the I7th of October, with Mes-
dames Cauche and Cruice, Miss Regina Decailly, a postu-
lant, and Madame Bullion, the novice already mentioned.
Mother Galitzin, who had offered to return to America,
was unable to leave on account of serious illness, so Mother
Hardey was appointed Superior of the Convent in New

York.

VISIT TO ROME

Among their fellow passengers on board The Lutica
were five Sisters of the Good Shepherd, who were going to
Louisville, Kentucky, to make the first foundation of their
Order in America. On arriving in New York, Mother Har-
dey invited the Sisters to rest some days at the Houston
Street Convent, and as their religious habit had attracted
much unpleasant notice on landing, she thoughtfully pro-
vided them with secular costumes for the remainder of the
journey.

After a few weeks passed in the midst of her own happy
family, she conducted Mothers Cauche and Cruice to Mc-
Sherrystown, in Pennsylvania, where a convent had been
founded previous to her departure for France. The Noviti-
ate at Florissant had been long in a languishing state, so
Mother Galitzin, with Mother Barat's permission, trans-
ferred the novices to McSherrystown, under the direction
of Mother de Kersaint.

Mother Hardey found on her arrival a fervent band of
novices, a flourishing free school and an Academy number-
ing sixty pupils, many of whom belonged to the best families
of Philadelphia and Baltimore. In fact every child in the
Conewago Valley was enjoying the benefits of the religious
training given by the nuns, who in turn received every
spiritual aid from their kind benefactor, Rev. Father Leken,
and his Jesuit colleagues in the Conewago Mission.

Mother Hardey installed Mother Cruice as Superior, and
to the great regret of all McSherrystown, Mother de Ker-
saint bade them adieu to become the pioneer of the Sacred
Heart amid the snows of Canada. Bishop Bourget of
Montreal, having obtained the promise of Mother Barat of
establishing a house of her Institute in his diocese, Mother
Hardey's next care was to send thither a colony of her
daughters.

Mesdames Bathilde Sallion, de Kersaint, Eveline
Leveque and Sister Battandier left New York on the nth of
December, with the hope of reaching Montreal before the

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

close of navigation. When only a few miles up the Hudson
the cold became so intense that the course of the steamer
was stopped by the fast forming ice, and the captain re-
solved to return to New York. He offered to land any of
the passengers who wished to continue their journey, but
with two or three exceptions all preferred to return to the
city. The four religious hesitated, but after a few moments
reflection Madame de Kersaint uttered these memorable
words : " We were told to go, but we were not told to re-
turn. Let us advance like the Holy Family in the name of
obedience, and perhaps we shall find a shelter." Encour-
aged by this brief exhortation, the religious determined to
go ashore.

The country lay hidden beneath a heavy snow and the
roads were almost impassable, yet, putting their trust in
God, they travelled on, until worn out with fatigue they
reached an inn, where they asked for lodging for the night.
Here they were told " there was no room for them," but they
were permitted to enter, however, though obliged to sit up
all night. The next morning they started on their journey
in a stage coach, which afforded slight protection from the
inclemency of the weather.

At length, on the i/th of the month, they reached " La
Prairie," opposite Montreal, and had the happiness of hear-
ing Mass and receiving Holy Communion.

As the St. Lawrence was partially frozen the boatmen
refused to row them over, it being forbidden for women to
cross the river at that season; but the men relented, how-
ever, and while the religious invoked aloud the assistance of
our Lady of Good Help, whose church was in sight, the
crossing was effected, if not without danger, at least with-
out accident.

On arriving in Montreal the nuns were cordially wel-
comed by Bishop Bourget, who secured hospitality for
them in the Convent of the Congregation Nuns, where they
spent the Feast of Christmas. The following day they

VISIT TO ROME

started for their new home at St. Jacques de 1'Achigan,
twelve miles from Montreal, where a novel reception
awaited them.

Monsieur Pare, the parish priest, vested in surplice and
stole, stood at the Church door to offer them a formal greet-
ing. The next day, under the auspices of St. John the
Evangelist, they were solemnly installed in their new abode.
The Vicar General of the diocese read a letter from the
Bishop, eulogizing the Society of the Sacred Heart, and con-
gratulating Monsieur Pare on his good fortune in securing
a house of the Institute for his parish. After the chanting
of the Veni Creator and the celebration of the Holy Sacri-
fice, the clergy advanced in procession to the convent, and
blessed the house in presence of the whole congregation
assembled outside. That same day the generous Cure
deeded to the religious 365 acres of land and the building,
which was sufficiently large to accommodate the commu-
nity and fifty pupils. He continued to be a father and friend
to them as long as they remained under his protection.

Mother Hardey was meanwhile actively engaged in pro-
moting the welfare of the Houston Street Convent.
She organized the Congregation of the Children of Mary,
whose members devoted themselves to visiting the poor in
their homes and the teaching of the Catechism in the Sun-
day Schools.

She applied herself with her usual energy and zeal to
instil into the hearts of her pupils a love for God and for
the Church. She gave religious instruction every morning
to the day scholars, who deeply appreciated her precious
teaching. She likewise reserved for herself the task of pre-
paring the little First Communicants, and as the great day
drew near she gave herself to the happy band with entire
devotedness, seeking to make them familiar with the life of
Him whowasabout to become the nourishment of their souls.

The history of the Passion of Our Lord was her usual
theme for the preparatory retreat.

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

On one occasion the child who was reading remarked, as
she concluded the Gospel narrative: " Mother, that is all! "
Apparently absorbed in the sublime recital, Mother Hardey
replied, " Read it again, my child, I could listen to the his-
tory of the Passion all my life." What seemed only a mo-
mentary act of devotion produced a profound impression.
Over forty years later this child, as a Professed Religious of
the Sacred Heart and Mistress of the Manhattanville
Noviceship, declared that her love for the Passion dated
from that retreat.

In the Annals of Houston Street we find frequent men-
tion of the visits of Bishop Hughes. On the ist of May,
1843, he officiated at the religious clothing of Miss Mar-
garet Donnelly, one of the first pupils of the Academy. A
few weeks later, on his return from the Council of Balti-
more, accompanied by nine other Bishops, he assisted at an
entertainment given by the pupils.

On the 5th of June His Lordship came to bid adieu to
the religious and pupils before sailing for Europe, and " on
the very day of his arrival," writes the faithful annalist, " he
gave us new proof of his paternal goodness by coming with
Bishop Chabrat and Father Starrs to announce his return.

In the Spring of 1843 Mother Hardey received a letter
from Mother Barat, announcing that the Holy Father had
ratified the decision of the Congregation of Cardinals, in
accordance with which the Decrees of 1839 were to be sup-
pressed and the Constitutions, approved by Leo XII., to
remain intact. Referring to the difficulties likely to arise
from this decision, she tells Mother Hardey that she has en-
tire confidence in her delicate tact and religious spirit to
lead all to accept with loving hearts the final word of the
Vicar of Christ. Then, having always in view the personal
holiness of her daughter, Mother Barat adds : " I cannot
recommend to you too earnestly, my dear Aloysia, to pre-
serve the fruits of your retreat at ' Les Anglais,' and to labor
each day to become more interior and humble. It is my ex-

VISIT TO ROME

perience that we produce fruit in souls, only in proportion
to our union with the Source of Grace, . . . hence there
should be constant fidelity and generosity in laboring to be-
come perfect religious. It is only souls, dead to themselves,
that can produce fruit in your country."

That same letter brought the glad tidings of the return
to America of Mother Galitzin, whose great qualities
Mother Hardey truly loved and appreciated. She saw be-
neath the exterior that seemed to reflect the absolutism of
the Russian character a greatness of soul, capable of heroic
virtue, and a singleness of purpose which had only the glory
of God in view.

Mother Galitzin arrived in New York July i6th, and
after a brief stay there visited the new foundations in Mc-
Sherrystown and Canada. She decided to remove the
novices from McSherrystown in order to place them under
the personal direction of Mother Hardey.

Having provided in various ways for the welfare of the
eastern communities, she went to St. Louis, and in the
month of November extended her tour to St. Michael's.
This was to be her last journey. The Divine Spouse was to
put the seal of His approval upon the act of self-oblation
which she had made for the welfare of the Society during
her retreat at " Les Anglais."

Finding that the yellow fever threatened to reap a har-
vest at St. Michael's, she fearlessly visited those who had
been attacked by the dread disease. It was in vain that she
was warned of the danger.

She showed symptoms of the contagion the 1st of De-
cember, and in a few days all hope of recovery was aban-
doned, but her strength of character became more apparent
in the face of death. She asked the physician in attendance
whether she was going to die. As his answer was evasive,
she quickly added : " I am not afraid of death. I even desire
it, if such be the will of God."

She seems to have had a presentiment of her approaching

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

end, in consequence of a dream which she had at La Fer-
randier the previous year, and which she mentioned to
Mother Hardey and others at the time. Three coffins sym-
metrically arranged were set before her. In the first she
saw the body of her eldest brother, the second contained
the form of her loved mother, while in the third she recog-
nized her own mortal remains.

This dream became in part a reality when, on the 28th
of October, 1843, almost at the same hour in which her
mother yielded up her soul to God in Saint Petersburg, her
brother died in Paris, after having embraced the Catholic
faith. The dream was fully verified that same year on the
eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception when, after
a distressing agony, she herself went to the possession of
the eternal joys promised by Him whom she had so ardently
loved and so courageously served.

The news of Mother Galitzin's death was a terrible
shock to Mother Hardey. She had lost a friend and guide,
and it was with a heart weighed down with grief that she
wrote these lines to Mother Barat:

" Last evening I received your precious letter of January
25th. It would be impossible to tell you what my heart ex-
perienced on seeing your handwriting. How good you are,
my venerated Mother, but what need I had of consolation.

" I cannot describe the state of grief in which the death
of Mother Galitzin had left me. Added to it, our terrible
anxiety in regard to your illness. To be at such a distance,
when letters take an age to reach us, is a trial more easily
felt than described. While sending us one heavy cross, God
has spared us another, whose weight would have over-
whelmed us. May He be a thousand times blessed for hav-
ing preserved our first Mother to us, and may we, by our
fidelity, obtain for you the health you need so much."

A few months later Mother Barat announced to her
American daughters the nomination of Mother Hardey as
provincial of the houses of the Eastern States and Canada.

VISIT TO ROME

The news was received with joy by Mother Hardey's
daughters, but far different were the feelings of their
Mother, as we learn from her letter to Mother Barat :

" NEW YORK, 10 April, 1844.
"Mv VERY REVEREND MOTHER :

" Your letter of March 4th has overwhelmed me ! I do
not know how to govern this little family; every day I
tremble at the thought of the account which I must render
of it to Almighty God, and now you have added yet more to
my obligations. O my venerated Mother, what will become
of me ! . . .

" Happily my appointment is only par interim, for the
Council of 1845 is not far distant and meanwhile I shall have
Mother X. to advise me."

This " interim," the thought of which consoled her, was
to last well nigh thirty years !

In casting a retrospective glance over Mother Hardey's
career, we can readily see how all the circumstances of her
life had gradually prepared her for the important works she
was destined to accomplish.

As a child, she had acquired those attractive domestic
virtues which when transferred to the cloister contribute
to make of it a paradise on earth. During the early years
of her religious life she had been trained in the spirit of the
Society by heroic guides, deeply imbued with its essence of
strength and holiness. She had been assigned to all the im-
portant offices, which had contributed to develop in her the
quality of prudence to a great degree, endowing her soon
with a vast fund of experience. Beginning as Mistress in
the school, she successively became Mistress General, Treas-
urer, Assistant, Mistress of Novices, and Superior, and amid
the multiplied occupations thus entailed her natural endow-
ments had gained strength, while her supernatural gifts had
attained a rare maturity.

In the study of her life we have seen Divine Providence

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

uniting the elements necessary to form a character, rounded
and complete, and therefore capable of great undertakings
and insuring great results. We do not claim, however, that
she had then reached the perfection which crowned her later
>ears. She was, so to speak, but expanding before the eye
of God, growing upward in the shadow as in the sunshine of
His love, and striking deeper roots in the knowledge of her
own weakness and nothingness.

Mother Barat, as we see from her letters, watched un-
ceasingly over the spiritual advancement of her daughter,
encouraging and enlightening her, but reproving unspar-
ingly the least appearance of a fault, either in her personal
conduct or government.

Father Barelle likewise followed her progress with the
zeal of a true apostle. On one occasion he writes : " I thank
God, my daughter, for the improvement which I find in your
spiritual life, and I pray that He may enable you to under-
stand the necessity of belonging wholly to Him. Once you
have grasped that truth, your heart will be filled with an
ardent desire of accomplishing His Holy Will. I have read
your daily regulation, and I give it my full sanction. . . .
Desire to go to your spiritual exercises with as much avidity
as epicures crave the choicest viands. They are impelled by
the cravings of our animal nature, let us imitate their eager-
ness by a hunger and thirst for God and our sanctification.
Try to correct the coldness of your manner, keeping in mind
the lesson of the Divine Master, ' Learn of Me that I am
meek and humble of Heart,' thus will you mould your char-
acter upon the Model which can alone render you pleasing
to God and agreeable to those around you."

Later he gave her advice in regard to her spiritual read-
ing and meditation. " I can see," he writes, " that spiritual
help is wanting to you, but when you feel the need of coun-
sel you will always find it in the Holy Eucharist and in the
wounds of the Crucified. Let your thoughts, your prayers
and your hopes be directed thither ! "

VISIT TO ROME

We have a glimpse of Mother Hardey's spiritual portrait
in these lines to Mother Barat.

" I have given you full details of all the houses, permit
me now to add a few lines about myself.

" I made my annual retreat at the close of that of the
community. I began it with the desire to gain all possible
good from it, and the determination to seek God alone, since
He was to be my only guide and director. After my review
of the past two years, I felt urged to ask Father Lafont per-
mission to make a vow never to commit a deliberate fault.
He refused at first, but at present he gives me permission
for a fortnight at a time. I know not whether I acted wise-
ly, yet I felt I was responding to the inspiration of grace.
It cost me much to make the request, but I am amply re-
paid by the help which it gives me to avoid a great number
of faults. I send you my resolutions that you may bless
them and add anything you may find lacking in them."

Father Lafont was a zealous priest of the Order of
Mercy, who accomplished a great work among the French
Catholics in New York. He made his religious profession
in the Houston Street chapel, Bishop Hughes receiving his
vows in the presence of the community. He was appointed
confessor of the nuns and the annals of the convent men-
tion with gratitude and appreciation his weekly conferences
on the obligations and perfections of the religious life.

Mother Hardey secured for the pupils a course of in-
structions in Christian Doctrine from Rev. Father Varela,
one of the ablest defenders of Catholic Faith in New York.
He is frequently mentioned as officiating in the Convent
chapel at the reception of converts into the Church. Other
names that have passed into history appear on the pages of
these annals, among them that of the distinguished convert,
Rev. James Roosevelt Bayley, later Archbishop of Balti-
more, who celebrated his first Mass in the Convent chapel
on the 3d of March, 1844.

The Catholic Church had greatly increased in the United

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

States during the first half of the nineteenth century. New
diocesan sees had been erected to provide shepherds for
the Fold of Christ, and each successive year, with its labors
and sorrows, brought its fruits and joys. A Catholic press
and Catholic literature had passed successfully through
their first struggles for existence, and the progress of ele-
mentary education proved that our parochial schools were
being established upon a solid and permanent basis. In
spite of losses, poverty, persecutions, calumny and con-
tempt, the Church was becoming a great factor in the
nation.

Suddenly a fresh persecution broke out, originating ap-
parently in the position assumed by the Catholic body in
reference to certain regulations of the public schools. It
does not, however, enter into our province to review the
shameful page of our national history, which recalls the ex-
cesses of the so-called " Native American Party." The gen-
eral reader is familiar with the tragic events which occurred
in Philadelphia in 1844, when churches, hospitals and even
the private dwellings of many Catholic citizens were burned
by a frenzied mob acting under the inspiration of the
" Know Nething," or " Native American Party." It was
only after an encounter between the rioters and the militia,
under General Cadwalader, that peace and protection were
assured to the Catholics.

As the storm burst upon them so unexpectedly, there
had been no time for deliberation. The gentle Bishop,
Francis Patrick Kenrick, counselled patience, " thinking it
more conformable," says a Catholic writer, " to the spirit of
the Gospel to bend and suffer than to cause additional vio-
lence and bloodshed." But Bishop Hughes adopted a con-
trary course. Finding that the waves of prejudice were
about to break over New York, he inquired of the civil au-
thorities whether the law provided for compensation in the
case of damage done by rioters, and as the answer was in
the negative, he boldly advised his flock to defend their

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VISIT TO ROME

churches and their property with their lives. " In doing
so," he said, " they will not be acting against the law, but
for the law."

Upon receiving an anonymous notice, threatening him
with assassination, he addressed an open letter to James
Harper, the Mayor, a " Native American," in which he ar-
raigned him and James Gordon Bennett and William L.
Stone as representatives of the press, at the bar of public
opinion.

" Stand forth," he said, " and meet Bishop Hughes ! But
come forward in no quibbling capacity. Come forth as
honest men, as true American citizens, with truth in your
hearts and candor on your lips."

This challenge produced a deep impression throughout
the country. " The appeal for facts and evidence, instead
of vague charges," says a Catholic historian, " told on the
minds of all honest men in all sections of the country. The
vigor and firmness of the Bishop saved New York from a
repetition of the disgraceful scenes which had left their
stain on the ' City of Brotherly Love.' "

In a letter dated May 15, 1844, Mother Hardey thus de-
scribes to Mother Barat the Philadelphia riots.
"Mv VENERATED MOTHER:

" I would have sent you these notes in the beginning of
the month but for the horrible events which have transpired
in Philadelphia, and which, it is feared, may be renewed
here. Many Catholics have been killed and several
churches destroyed. The city is under martial law and the
churches serve as barracks for the soldiers. Oh ! how much
Our Lord has been outraged and insulted. Yet it is the gen-
eral opinion that the result will be for the greater good of
religion.

" A remarkable occurrence is published even by Protes-
tant papers, hostile to the Church.

" St. Augustine's, the oldest church in Philadelphia,
was burned by the rioters and everything reduced to ashes,

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

save the wall behind the High Altar, which remained stand-
ing ; upon it was painted the symbolic Eye of God, with an
inscription in gilt letters, ' The Lord Seeth.'

" The fact is all the more extraordinary, that while the
wall was blackened by the flames, the devouring element
only brought out in bolder relief the inscription and the All-
seeing Eye.

" Peace has been restored in Philadelphia since the loth,
but fears are now entertained for our city. Some of the pa-
rents have withdrawn their children, others have left them
for our greater security, for several nights we kept our-
selves in readiness to leave the house in case of attack, but
so far the excitement has not broken out into violence. It
is the general opinion that danger to us arises only from our
proximity to the Cathedral and the episcopal residence, as
the Bishop is the special object of hatred to the enemies of
the Church. I have not had a moment of fear, for it seems
to me that Our Lord will guard us, since we are guarding
Him. During those nights, when we were apparently
awaiting death, I had not the least dread of it. Whence
comes this tranquillity? I am in fear it may be indifference,
for I am not prepared to die."

Mother Hardey then alludes to the solemn celebration
of the Month of May, by sermons and benedictions of the
Blessed Sacrament. " It is a consoling fact," she adds,
" that already five of the parishes in New York have intro-
duced these beautiful devotions and have had signal proof
of the graces that flow from heaven upon those who pay
special homage to the Mother of God."

In this same letter she mentioned her desire to establish
a free school for poor children, but regrets that through
motives of prudence she believes it advisable to postpone
this good work to a more favorable time.

1 02

CHAPTER XI.
TRANSFER OF THE ACADEMY TO ASTORIA — PURCHASE ot

THE LORILLARD ESTATE — 1844-1847.

In the Spring of 1844 Bishop Hughes tried to secure for
the Religious of the Sacred Heart the magnificent estate of
Jacob Lorillard at Manhattanville, but negotiations having
failed, he advised the purchase of a temporary residence in
Astoria.

Mother Hardey writes on the subject to Mother Barat:
" Yesterday I went with Bishop Hughes to visit a fine prop-
erty, situated about two miles from his seminary. He
wished to purchase at once, but I begged him to wait until
I could obtain your consent. His Lordship says it is an ab-
solute necessity for us to move to the country this year, but
we cannot raise money, as we have no property. He de-
sires me to say that if you could borrow money in Belgium,
we could pay the interest and return the principal later.
We cannot do more than vegetate here so long as we have
to pay an annual rent of $2600. Besides the health of the
religious suffers greatly in the Summer, and the school di-
minishes one-fourth from the first of May to the first of
October."

Mother Barat readily consented to the purchase of a
country residence in Astoria, and at the close of the annual
retreat, given by Rev. Father Barbelin, S. J., Mother Har-
dey started with her daughters for their new home. She
left a few of the religious in the city until the following
Spring, when she closed the Academy and opened a day
school in Bleecker Street.

It is pleasant to record that the Houston Street convent
was purchased by the Sisters of Mercy in 1848, and be-
came known as Saint Catherine's Convent, or Academy of

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Our Lady of Mercy. That was subsequently abandoned
and the whole neighborhood is now given over to business.

" Ravenswood," as the Astoria property was called, was
a commodious dwelling of the Colonial style, pleasantly sit-
uated between the East River and Long Island Sound. The
grounds, though small, presented a picturesque variety of
natural and artificial beauty, while a thriving garden and
orchard furnished vegetables and fruit in abundance.

The first Mass was offered by the parish priest on the
3rd of September, 1844, and on the following Sunday, Feast
of our Lady's Nativity, he invited the congregation to ac-
company him to the convent, so that the religious might
not be deprived of the Holy Sacrifice. The vestibule was
converted into a temporary chapel, and about eleven
o'clock priest and people arrived. Clustered around the
porch and out upon the lawn, these good people assisted
with remarkable devotion at the Sacred Mysteries. It was
a scene never to be forgotten.

The boarders from Houston Street arrived the next day.
They were delighted with their new surroundings and wel-
comed with joy their new companions. The novices were
equally pleased with their little Nazareth, as it was called.
For their greater seclusion, and to promote habits of silence
and prayer, a small addition to the main building was
erected for their use. " When we took possession of it,"
writes one of the novices, " we felt as if we had entered a
palace. Our Mother was there making everything suitable
for her children. Before leaving us that first evening, she
gave us her blessing and confided us to the care of Saint
Michael. Her confidence in the great Archangel was not
misplaced. Some weeks later, Madame Dumont, our Mis-
tress, called suddenly from her room, left a lighted candle
on her desk. A wonderful mark of the Divine protection
awaited her return. Her bed curtain had caught fire and
was totally burned, while everything else in the room re-
mained untouched by the flames. We attributed this strik-

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ing preservation to the strong faith with which Mother
Hardey had appealed to the protection of Saint Michael for
us and our little frame building."

Shortly after this event Madame Dumont left for
France, and in spite of her numerous occupations, Mother
Hardey assumed the entire charge of the novices. She
taught them even more by her example than by her words.
" In the life of our Mother," writes one of the novices, " we
had the lesson of unselfishness constantly before our eyes.
During our three years residence at Astoria, she never had
a room for her own use. Her desk was placed in a corner
of the pupils' dormitory, and there she spent a large part of
her day writing letters and attending to the business of the
house. Her bed was a cot which was carried to a classroom
at night and removed the next morning.

" When the weather was cold she used to go up to the
garret where her daughters slept, to assure herself that they
had sufficient covering and frequently she brought up hot
bricks for those who suffered from cold feet."

Mother Hardey's instructions to the novices were based
upon the recommendations of the Mother General. " I beg
my good mother Aloysia," writes Mother Barat, " to exer-
cise her Novices in the solid virtues of the Institute. We
cannot ground them too much in the practice of humility,
abnegation, mortification and forgetfulness of self. If these
virtues are not familiar to them, we labor in vain. Believe
me, it is better to have fewer in number and better reli-
gious. Imperfect Professed do more harm than good. Is
not this your experience also, dear Mother? Labor then,
my daughter, to form your young people to the love of
Jesus Christ and to the practice of humility. Remember
your retreat at ' Les Anglais/ and try to imprint that type
of perfection in all hearts. Anything else is only froth,
without consistency and therefore not durable."

Mother Hardey showed the same maternal interest in
the welfare of the pupils, entering into all their joys and

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

sorrows, but never permitting a grave fault to pass unno-
ticed. She governed by kindness, tact and patience, and
she was accustomed to tell her daughters that in the forma-
tion of minds and hearts gentleness is more efficacious than
severity.

As the school increased in numbers, the pupils devel-
oped those domestic characteristics which are precious for
them in after life. A spirit of charity was manifested by
their zeal in sewing for the poor, and especially for the or-
phans. The toil of nimble fingers and the fruits of generous
sacrifices were always presented to Mother Hardey on her
feast day.

We find recorded in the Annals on one Feast of St.
Aloysius the offering of one hundred complete outfits for
the orphans under the care of the Sisters of Charity. An
artless piety seemed to preside at their recreations. They
had great devotion to St. Francis Regis, the patron of the
house, and they appealed to his intercession in every need.
One day in the late autumn, during their ramble in the
orchard, they espied a solitary apple on the top of the tree.
They tried in vain to dislodge it, then they invoked St.
Regis, but the apple remained immovable. The next day
their efforts were renewed and their invocations often
repeated, but without success. At last one little girl knelt
down and addressed a fervent prayer to their holy patron.
A moment later the apple fell at her feet. Joyfully, she pro-
claimed the glory of Saint Regis. " But why did he not
give it to you yesterday when you prayed to him ? " ques-
tioned the Mistress. " Oh, Madame," replied the child, " it
was only just now that I prayed to him in my heart ! "
Mother Hardey often related this incident and never failed
to remark that " it is only the prayer of the heart that
reaches Heaven."

In the early part of December Mother Hardey received
the painful news of her mother's death, which occurred on
the 23d of November, 1844. With her customary self-for-

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getfulness she tried to hide her grief from those around her.
One of her daughters, noticing her grave countenance, ven-
tured to ask if she had received any bad news. " Yes," she
answered, " I have heard of my dear mother's death, but do
not mention it until after the recreation, as it would sadden
the community."

We quote the following tribute to Mrs. Hardey's worth
from the pen of a lifelong friend: "The qualities of Mrs.
Hardey were of a high order, and her example was a rich
inheritance to her family and friends. It was said in her
obituary notice that ' in intellect and worth she towered
above others of her sex.' This was not an exaggeration. In
the judgment of many who knew her well, she was not
equalled even by her gifted daughter."

The autumn of 1845 brought another severe trial to
Mother Hardey in the death of Madame Hogan, her com-
panion from St. Michael's to the New York foundation.

Writing to Mother Barat of her visit to McSherrystown,
she says : " I found Mother Boilevin so exhausted that I
felt obliged to give her the help of another mistress in the
school. Notwithstanding our dearth of subjects, I have
sent Madame Decailly to McSherrystown, and have prom-
ised that as soon as Madame Hogan is able to travel she
will follow her, yet it is almost impossible to do without
these two good sisters, for they are the most devoted Mis-
tresses in the school."

This letter was resumed October 6th : " I had written
thus far, when dear Madame Hogan was taken with a se-
vere hemorrhage and I feared she would die before receiv-
ing the Last Sacraments. After Extreme Unction had been
administered she grew better and the physician pronounced
her out of danger. As she continued to improve, I left two
days later for Philadelphia, where I had an appointment to
meet Bishop Kenrick. I had scarcely set out on my journey
when our dear invalid was seized with suffocation, and the
next morning she breathed her last sigh, repeating in trans-

107

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

ports of love, ' Oh, how good it is to die a Religious of the
Sacred Heart.'

" Only those who witnessed the devotedness of this he-
roic soul can realize the void which her death leaves in our
ranks." Madame Hogan was deeply mourned by all those
who had come within the sphere of her influence.

We find in the journal of the Ladies' Children of Mary,
the following entry : " Resolved, that as a mark of respect
to Madame Hogan, our regretted friend and counsellor,
black ribbon shall be worn on our medals for the ensuing
six months."

Shortly before her death, Madame Hogan had been
urged by one of her sisters to be more prudent in regard
to her health, as there was no one to take her place.
" When our Lord takes me," she answered, " He will send
one far more useful than I have ever been ! "

Her words were fully verified. A few days after Mad-
ame Hogan's death, a distinguished convert of Bishop
Hughes, Miss Sarah Jones, entered the Novitiate, and for
over forty years Mother Hardey found in her not only a
loyal, devoted daughter, but a most efficient aid in every
department of her administration.

In 1846 the Convent of Saint Jacques in Canada was be-
set with difficulties which required Mother Hardey's per-
sonal solution. The boarding pupils from Montreal had be-
come so numerous that they occupied nearly the entire
building, which had been erected for the children of Saint
Jacques. These latter, to the great displeasure of the vil-
lagers, were located temporarily in an adjoining house. The
saintly Cure, Monsieur Pare, tried in vain to appease his
angry flock. They were in open revolt against him when
Mother Hardey arrived. She listened with kindly interest
to their grievance, acknowledging that they were justified
in their protests, and calmed them with the assurance that
the boarders should be removed without delay.

She purchased property at Saint Vincent, He Jesus,

1 08

THE ACADEMY AT ASTORIA

which was at a more convenient distance from Montreal,
and established the boarding school there.

On her return to Astoria, Mother Hardey tried to ob-
tain for the pupils the blessing of a spiritual retreat. Bishop
McCloskey, who was confessor at the convent, applied to
the Jesuit Fathers, but without success. The pupils began
a Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows at the suggestion of
Mother Hardey, and on the last day of the Novena she re-
ceived a letter from the good Bishop offering to give the re-
treat himself. Needless to say, the favor was accepted with
joy and gratitude.

The zealous Bishop took so deep an interest in the suc-
cess of the good work that he not only read over the chil-
dren's resolutions, but added some words of counsel and
encouragement in their notebooks. More than forty years
later, one of the retreatants had still in her possession the
notes of that retreat, and to the surprise of the Bishop, then
our first American Cardinal, she, a professed Religious of
the Sacred Heart, showed him the words of advice and
warning which he had written for her.

Another item of interest in the Annals of Astoria, is the
organization of a society to provide for the needs of poor
churches. A letter, describing a similar enterprise carried on
in the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Metz, awoke in the
pupils a desire to emulate their sisters in Europe. Mother
Hardey encouraged the project to open a bazaar for the
purpose of realizing the funds necessary to purchase mate-
rials. The result was that at the Distribution of Premiums
July 2ist, a generous offering of vestments and altar linen
was presented to Bishop Hughes and his Coadjutor, Bishop
McCloskey, for the benefit of their country missions.

Joys such as these were not without alloy for Mother
Hardey, as we learn from the correspondence of those days.
Experience has proved that the work of education is not
only a difficult, but also an ungrateful task, for the reputa-
tion of a convent school depends upon the bearing of its

109

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

pupils within and those who have already passed beyond
its walls. Yet their conduct is not always a fair test of the
influence exerted over them within the sacred enclosure.

Many who have been trained to faith and piety, on leav-
ing their convent home yield to the allurements of the world
and forget the lessons learned in childhood. Others, re-
maining but a short time under the influence of religious
teaching and little affected by it in their worldly life, throw
discredit on the school where they had been only passing
pupils.

Unfounded reports of the worldliness of former pupils
and of too progressive a spirit in the school of Astoria,
reached Mother Barat and caused her to send words of
warning to Mother Hardey. " In my recent letter," she
writes, " I was obliged to tell you of the complaints made
of your school. I hope you will understand that I mention
them only because of the interest which I take in you and
yours. On account of its high standing, your house should
be the type and model of all the others, especially as re-
gards the class of pupils, the solidity of the education given
and the formation of the Mistresses. What are arts and
sciences but dust scattered by the wind, compared with the
solid virtues which we should cultivate in the hearts of our
pupils. Even if we did not take into account the greatest
of all interests, the salvation of souls, do we not see that the
most superficial persons will prefer a modest, retiring, in-
dustrious woman to a brilliant prodigy who seeks only
pleasure and the gratification of her vanity?

" Do not give yourself either peace or rest until you have
succeeded in making your Mistresses models of the true re-
ligious spirit and living examples of the principles which
they should instill into the hearts of their pupils."

Mother Hardey's reply is characteristic of her humility
and readiness to submit cheerfully to the voice of authority.
" MY VENERATED MOTHER :

" I have this moment received your kind letter of April

THE ACADEMY AT ASTORIA

i8th and I thank you a thousand times for all you have told
me. Though your reproaches have wounded my heart, I
believe I am able to say that they have been received in
the same spirit which dictated them. I would not wish on
any account to be left in ignorance of the charges brought
against me. I fully understand how destitute I am of the
qualities necessary for my responsible position, and I am
persuaded that another would do far better in my place.
However, I know that it is only by recognizing my mis-
takes that I shall be able to correct them. How could I ob-
ject to hear them from you, my Mother, to whom I have
belonged for over twenty years, and who must know better
than any one else my incapacity and unworthiness. I am
willing to receive observations from any source, how much
more readily then from you, whose duty it is to point out
my faults."

Mother Hardey then explains in her own frank, simple
way, that certain changes have been introduced in order
that the regulations of the boarding school might be made
to harmonize with the classes of the day scholars. Other
points of discipline, and the introduction of higher branches
of study in accordance with the needs of the times, she
showed to be in perfect keeping with the Society's educa-
tional methods, which, without being altered in essentials,
are susceptible of adaptation to the claims of every country.

Through the pen of her secretary, Mother Barat hast-
ened to send the assurance that the explanation was per-
fectly satisfactory. Mother Hardey wrote in reply :

" Mother Cahier's kind letter of July 24th awaited me at
the close of my retreat, during which I had made the sacri-
fice of your esteem and confidence, as your last two letters
had caused me to believe I had forfeited both. You may
then picture my joy and gratitude on learning that you have
sanctioned all I have done for the welfare of the souls con-
fided to my care."

She then adds a message from Bishop Hughes : " His

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Lordship made me promise to give you this message. He
begs you, by venerated Mother, not to believe all you hear
about his house of the Sacred Heart. He assures you that
if anything goes wrong he will be the first to tell you. He
says the complaints about our pupils are untrue; that, on
the contrary, everyone remarks the good qualities they
possess."

When Bishop Hughes was in Paris in 1846 he called
upon Mother Barat, who was highly gratified by all he told
her of the school in Astoria, as we learn from the following
letter:

" PARIS, 15 MARCH, 1846.
" DEAR MOTHER AND DAUGHTER :

" Your venerated Bishop has kindly offered to take all
our commissions and to be the bearer of this letter, which
must be brief, as I leave to my secretary to reply to your
business questions, and I count upon Monseigneur to make
known to you the result of our conversations respecting
your house.

" They were consoling to me, for we agreed upon every
point. His Lordship has a remarkably sound judgment and
foresight, as well as a thorough knowledge of business af-
fairs. How happy I should be to have such a guide! This
good prelate will provide with true fatherly interest for all
your spiritual and temporal wants. We have agreed upon
the necessity of changing your present abode, and we have
decided to borrow the funds requisite for purchasing a de-
sirable location at 4 per cent, instead of 7 per cent., which
you have to pay in the United States. We shall await the
purchase of the property before raising the money. Mother
Adele will explain to you our wishes in regard to your own
house and the others confided to your care.

" With so much labor and solicitude, dear daughter, it
is essential that you keep your soul in peace and faithful
to God. Be dependent then upon His Holy Spirit, by the

112

THE ACADEMY AT ASTORIA

practice of generosity in sacrificing your own inclinations
and in restraining natural activity. A superior should be,
as far as possible, a living rule to all her subjects. Be faith-
ful, my daughter, to all these recommendations, and Jesus
will bless your efforts and you will thereby procure His
glory by your personal holiness as well as by your works."

Bishop Hughes arrived in New York on the 2ist of
April. Before the close of the day he visited Astoria and
rejoiced the community with an account of his interview
with their beloved foundress.

The selection of a new location now became the great
object of interest to religious and pupils, and having heard
that the Lorillard estate was again offered for sale, Bishop
Hughes sent his secretary, Rev. James Roosevelt Bayley,
to negotiate the affair, and he went himself to Astoria to
recommend the community to do violence to Heaven by
their prayers. They began at once a Novena of the Sta-
tions of the Cross, but the following day the Bishop re-
turned to say that Mrs. Lorillard positively refused to let
the property be sold. " Be patient," he said, " and make up
your mind to remain here for another year." His Lordship
was discouraged, but Mother Hardey's hope never faltered.

To a religious who said it would be tempting Providence
to go on with the Novena, Mother Hardey replied : " God
is more powerful than His creatures. Let us put our trust
in Him and continue our prayers."

Almost immediately after the Novena the property was
again advertised for sale, but the price set upon it, $70,000,
was a sum far beyond Mother Hardey's reach.

After calculating her resources and consulting friends
willing and able to help her, she found she could only
offer $50,000. It was emphatically refused, but Mother
Hardey was not yet discouraged. With all the strength of
her lively faith she turned for aid to our Blessed Lady.
Within the space of three days twenty thousand " Memo-
rares " were recited by the religious and pupils, and, on the

8 113

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

evening of the third day, their prayers were granted by her
who is " never invoked in vain."

Not only did the Lorillard heirs declare their willingness
to sell for $50,000, but they even added to the original prop-
erty twelve acres of land adjoining it.

When Bishop Hughes announced the good news, heart-
felt thanksgiving and a grand "Magnificat" resounded in
the little chapel of " Ravenswood," for this visible proof
of Divine love given to fervent confidence in prayer.

The removal from Astoria took place on the I7th of Feb-
ruary, 1847. The pupils refused to go home during those
days, so eager were they to share with their mistresses the
pleasures and privations of their installation at Manhattan-
ville.

114

CHAPTER XII.

EARLY DAYS AT MANHATTANVILLE — LETTER OF BISHOP
HUGHES — DAY SCHOOL IN NEW YORK — 1847-1849.

A more beautiful place could hardly be imagined than
" Manhattanville," as the Lorillard estate was called, after
it passed into the possession of the Religious of the Sacred
Heart.

It was situated upon the brow of an elevation about one
hundred and sixty feet above Harlem Plains on one side
and the banks of the Hudson on the other. The grounds
were remarkably picturesque. Secluded walks, lofty rocks
crowned with verdure, thick woods traversed by narrow
paths, like Indian trails, smiling lawns and handsome parks
all combined to throw a charm around the spot, now con-
secrated to the interests of religious education.

The pupils came in bands from Astoria and were enthu-
siastic in their joyful appreciation of their new home. The
first care of the religious was to provide for the comfort of
the children. For themselves they gladly accepted the pri-
vations inseparable from a foundation.

" Our arrival at Manhattanville," writes one of the nov-
ices, " marked an epoch in our community life. Our num-
bers were few, our labors manifold, and even in the beau-
tiful Lorillard mansion we felt that we were the true daugh-
ters of ' holy poverty.' The hall outside the kitchen served
for our refectory, a couple of boards answered for tables,
while a box often supplied the want of a chair. Bishop
Hughes, who came almost daily, was much amused by our
improvised furniture, and he marvelled at our ingenuity in
turning everything to account. He was especially im-
pressed by the way in which Mother Hardey managed to
reserve for herself what was most laborious and inconve-
nient. ' I never see her,' he remarked to one of the reli-

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

gious, ' without broom or brush in hand, and she is always
the same, whether in the kitchen or in the parlor. Truly
your Mother is one in a thousand ! ' '

The Bishop's words found an echo in the hearts of her
daughters, for it was their happy privilege to witness daily
examples of those admirable virtues of which the Bishop
had only a passing glimpse.

In the neighborhood of Manhattanville were many poor
families upon whom Mother Hardey began at once to exer-
cise her charity. Since their arrival in New York the work
of the religious had been restricted to the Academy ; now
they were about to add the one dearest to the heart of the
members of the Society, the gratuitous instruction of poor
children.

Mother Hardey converted a commodious stable into a
schoolhouse and appointed two of the novices to teach the
classes. In a short time the good work prospered. She vis-
ited the classes from time to time and encouraged both Mis-
tresses and pupils. Every effort made was sure to receive
her commendation. At the end of the school term she pre-
sided at the closing exercises, which were necessarily crude
and therefore disappointing to the young Mistresses, who
hoped for better results; but their Mother evinced un-
feigned delight while listening to the simple recitations and
songs of the children. After distributing the rewards, she
noticed several little girls looking disconsolate because they
had received nothing. The kind Mother could not let these
little ones leave with downcast hearts. She had anticipated
the trouble and provided for it. Drawing from her pocket
a package of highly colored pictures, she called the children
to her, one by one, then asked the Mistress to mention some
effort made by the child, in order that she might receive a
picture, either as recompense or encouragement.

The families of the children were likewise the objects
of her solicitude. Work for the parents, clothes for the chil-
dren, medicines for the sick, all the needs of the body, but

116

EARLY DAYS AT MANHATTANVILLE

more especially the needs of the soul, claimed her time and
assistance. Her charity soon became proverbial in the vil-
lage. " If a poor woman called to see Reverend Mother,"
one of the Sisters relates, " I was sure to find that some of
her clothes or bedding had disappeared. I tried to keep a
piece of carpet under her desk during the winter, but every
few days it was missing. At last I complained to Reverend
Mother that there was not another piece to be found. She
quietly answered : ' I am so glad, Sister, now your fretting
will be over.'

" One day a poor woman came with a very pitiful tale.
Her husband had pawned her sewing machine and had
spent the money in gambling and drink. Mother Hardey
advised her to bring her husband to see her when he was
sober, but the man refused. She then wrote him a note,
stating that she wanted to see him on business. He came,
very much abashed, but the good mother put him at his
ease by inquiring about his trade, his aptitude for manual
work, promised to secure a situation for him, and then
broached the subject of his religious duties. He acknowl-
edged that he had not been to the Sacraments for years, but
he would make his peace with God as soon as he was pre-
pared to go to confession.

" A few weeks later the prodigal received Holy Com-
munion and Confirmation in the convent chapel, and, true
tc her word, Mother Hardey found him employment by get-
ting him to attend a little fancy store which she advised his
wife to open, and for which she advanced the sum of fifty
dollars to make the necessary purchases.

" From that time the man became a model husband and
father. The business venture was a success, and some years
later the couple purchased a fine farm, where they con-
tinued to prosper and where they have brought up a large
family in the fear and love of God."

But the work of charity dearest to the heart of Mother
Hardey was the care of a little band of orphans, the chil-
li;

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

dren of Irish immigrants who had died of the cholera on
reaching New York. The opportunity soon presented it-
self and was a consequence of the difficulties which had
arisen between Bishop Hughes and the Emmitsburg supe-
riors of the Sisters of Charity. On account of the misun-
derstanding he asked Mother Hardey to take charge of
these children pending the settlement of the questions at
issue. She was far from suspecting that this act of charity,
in deference to the Bishop's request, would give rise to sus-
picion and accusations against herself.

When the New York Sisters of Charity separated from
the Mother House at Emmitsburg, which had become affili-
ated to the Paris Congregation, it was noised abroad that
Mother Hardey would soon effect a similar separation of
the American branch of the Sacred Heart. Rumors to that
effect were set afloat and reached even the ear of the
Mother General, who was the first to communicate them to
Mother Hardey, of whose loyalty she never doubted. How
deep was the suffering caused by the charge we may infer
from the letters of Mother Barat at this period. " Continue,
my daughter," she wrote, " to unburden your heart by con-
fiding to me all that grieves and troubles you. It is not
right for you to keep your sorrows to yourself! I under-
stand you perfectly and I am thoroughly convinced of your
attachment to the Society. You must forget what has oc-
curred, and remember, dear Mother, no good can be accom-
plished save by and with the Cross."

We find Father Barelle writing to her in the same strain.
"Who is there without the Cross? Happy the souls that
know how to appreciate and love those which Jesus pre-
sents to them, in order to draw them more closely to Him-
self! Be of the number, my daughter, and make no distinc-
tion between one cross and another. See in each of them
* a gift of God/ a precious stone from Calvary, a message
of grace, an efficacious means of growing conformable to
Jesus and one of the rays of his greatest glory."

118

EARLY DAYS AT MANHATTAN VI LLE

We can give no better refutation of the calumny circu-
lated about Mother Hardey's projected schism than by
quoting the following passage from the pages of her French
biography : " It will always be Mother Hardey's crown and
glory that she was exhaustless in her efforts to strengthen
and maintain the bonds of unity between our houses in Eu-
rope and America. American by birth, and American in
heart, she had nevertheless acquired in a high degree from
those who trained her to the religious life the spirit which
characterized the Society in its infancy. Powerful by her
sterling virtues and splendid character, her dignified bear-
ing and attractive manners, she made use of these gifts to
maintain in all its integrity the spirit she had received and
to transmit it to future generations of her religious family."

Towards the close of 1847, revolution broke out in al-
most all the countries of Europe and in many places the
Church was fiercely assailed. As usual, the Religious Or-
ders came in for the first attack. The Society of the Sacred
Heart had its share of trouble and its members were ex-
pelled from their convent at Montet, in Switzerland, and
from five others in Italy. But an All-wise Providence drew
from it all a blessing for the Society in America, for in pro-
viding homes for the banished nuns, Mother Barat thought
of her houses in the New World. " Six of our Sisters," she
announced, " are going to New York. Six others will soon
follow. When light is withdrawn from one country it
passes into another."

The refugees were received by Mother Hardey with that
genuine cordiality which proves, that if earth is an exile,
the Religious of the Sacred Heart find a country, a homo
and a Mother in every convent of the Order.

Among the exiles were two whose names are intimately
associated with the early history of Manhattanville, Mad-
ame Trincano, whom Mother Barat had appointed Mistress
of Novices, and Madame Tommasini, a young aspirant,
who had suffered much during the sad scenes of the revolu-
tion in Turin. .

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Mother Trincano could not speak English, but it was no
obstacle to her efficiency as Mistress of Novices. Her in-
structions in French were translated fluently by one of the
novices, and even the recreations, which were carried on in
two languages, lost nothing of their interest and gayety.

Eager to secure for her novices the advantage of greater
seclusion than the boarding school afforded, Mother Har-
dey fitted up for their use a small stone dwelling on the
grounds, known as " the cottage." " That dear little No-
vitiate," writes a novice of those days, " was a true Naza-
reth, where we tasted all the happiness that comes from
poverty and holy obedience. A beautiful park, bordered by
tiees, was our recreation ground, and there we felt as se-
cluded from the world as were the ancient solitaries of the
Thebaid. The hours passed in that lovely spot were bright-
est when Mother Hardey was present. Her conversation
raised our hearts to God, and when she left us we felt dis-
posed anew for prayer."

" Bishop Hughes often came to see us," writes another.
" We celebrated his first visit with poetry and song. He
asked for a copy of our verses, declaring that he would de-
posit them in the archives of the Cathedral. Once, as he
walked with us on the grassy slope in front of the cottage,
I presented him with a wild flower, saying, ' Monseigneur,
here is "Jack in the Pulpit!" ' Assuming an injured air,
he exclaimed : ' " Jack in the Pulpit ! " Well, Madame Ten-
broeck, I did not expect such a slur upon the oratory of
John Hughes ! ' My great confusion was a source of merri-
ment to him and my novice sisters."

" So many joys centered in our cottage home that we
left it with regret, when our Novitiate was established in
the convent. I well remember the day we took possession
of that new abode, and also Mother Hardey's bright smile,
as she showed us our pleasant rooms and simple furniture.
She took special pleasure in calling our attention to the set
of French straw chairs, a gift from our Mother General."

1 20

1 Old Convent, Manhattanville, N. Y.

2 Chapel at Manhattanville

EARLY DAYS AT MANHATTANVILLE

Mother Barat's letters show the interest she felt in these
novices. Seeing in them her religious family of the future,
she insisted upon their formation, according to the true
spirit of the Institute. " Pay special attention to the nov-
ices," she wrote to Mother Hardey. " See that from the
very beginning they strive to acquire solid virtue. Teach
them to practice mortification and detachment. Unless
they aim at becoming interior, they will be only counterfeit
religious, and then how incomplete will be their own per-
fection and how little good will result from their ministry
with souls."

Manhattanville was hardly established upon a solid
basis when its prosperity seemed to be menaced by an un-
expected event. A beautiful property, midway between the
city and Manhattanville, was purchased by Bishop Hughes
for the Sisters of Charity, who were to start a school there.
The friends of the Sacred Heart became alarmed and urged
Mother Hardey to remonstrate with the Bishop. She re-
fused, saying the field of labor was large enough for both
institutions, and, that in the work of saving souls, it mat-
ters not whether Sisters of Charity or Sisters of the Sacred
Heart were to be the laborers. Mother Barat expressed
her fear on the same subject to Mother Hardey in the fol-
lowing lines: "What is the meaning of this report which
has reached me, my daughter? Can it be possible that your
Bishop, who has always been so devoted to your interests
and who urged you to incur the great expense of your re-
cent purchase, has established near Manhattanville a school
similar to yours, and at a more moderate pension, thus leav-
ing you but little chance to prosper? I acknowledge that
I am greatly surprised at this unexpected turn of affairs.
What will become of your establishment and what do you
propose to do?" Then, lifting her thoughts above earthly
cares, she continues: " O, my daughter, we must grow
strong with the strength of Jesus Christ, uniting ourselves
so closely to His Divine Heart that no one can reach us

121

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

without touching that Divine Heart Itself! Let us then
despoil ourselves of what is purely natural, in order to
clothe ourselves with Jesus Christ."

It was probably this letter which determined Mother
Hardey to make known her apprehensions to the Bishop.
His Lordship's vindication is best expressed in his own
words :

" NEW YORK, November 22, 1847.
" DEAR MADAME HARDEY :

" I regretted the other evening that the lateness of the
hour did not allow me to hear from you and to say to you
all that I would wish in reference to the situation and pros-
pects of your Community. Not knowing when I may have
another opportunity of conversing on the subject, I prefer
writing down leisurely what I would wish you to regard
as my opinion in the whole matter. I was much afflicted
to perceive that for the first time you appeared to be down-
cast and despondent in reference to your prospects. I was
equally pained in perceiving that I also, in your thoughts,
was regarded as having contributed to the cause of your
depression by having allowed another Community to estab-
lish a school on terms and in circumstances prejudicial to
your success. It appears that such an impression has been
made on the mind of Madame Barat, your Mother General.
I should have been sufficiently afflicted at your depression
and discouragement without having learned that I myself
was looked upon as having been the cause.

" I state the case according to the impression which the
brief conversation I had with you has left upon my mind,
and I only regret that if unknowingly I have contributed to
such a result I was not advised of it at any period during
the progress of what has been accomplished. I know that
from the day when I invited the Religious of the Sacred
Heart to this diocese I have been loyal and, in good faith,
zealous for their success, and, unless awfully mistaken in
my judgment, true to their interests. I may say at the

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EARLY DAYS AT MANHATTANVILLE

same time that in great things, as in small things, the Com-
munity has been all that my heart could wish ; that they
have already done much for the good of religion, and are
destined with God's blessing to do still more ; that I see no
reason for despondency, and that I am now as sanguine of
their success as I have been at any time since their coming
to this diocese. At all events, I look upon myself as having,
so far as depends on me, adopted your Community as the
first school for Catholic education in this diocese, and so
long as I live you must not allow yourself to give way to
gloomy apprehensions, whatever discouragements you may
experience from other causes, for I consider myself bound
to see that your house shall not go down, whilst I am able
to sustain it, and that in any event we shall stand or fall
together.

" Now permit me to say that I think your apprehensions
are entirely unfounded. As I feel a little mortified that
Madame Barat should have come to any conclusion reflect-
ing upon me, without having first given me intimation of
the grounds of it, I think it proper to take a retrospective
glance at what has occurred since you came to the diocese.

" When Madame Galitzin arrived here it was deemed
most expedient to commence in the city, and the price of
tuition was put at rather a high rate, with a view at once
to secure the attendance of what are called the better
classes, and at the same time not to injure the other schools,
and not to provoke their hostility. Afterwards the health
of the religious required a change of air, and the place in
Astoria was purchased. It was not a desirable acquisition,
but perhaps the best that could be procured at the time
and under the circumstances. When the opportunity pre-
sented itself I urged the acquisition of your present prop-
erty, and I am grateful both that I prevented other pur-
chases, which would not have been suitable, and that this,
which by all testimony and agreement of opinion is for
your purposes the most desirable, has been secured. In

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

recommending this, however, either to yourselves or to
your Mother General in Paris, I did not disguise the weight
of the undertaking, nor the expense which for some time
it would involve.

" As regards your immediate prospects, and above all
the economy of your establishment, for the present time,
either of the other places would have made your income and
your expenditure more in proportion to each other. But
ultimately you would have to abandon both. Certainly you
have three times the quantity of land which would be neces-
sary for you. But, on the other hand, it will rise in value
from year to year, and after the railroad along the Hudson
shall have been completed it will be in your power to dis-
pose of as much of it as you wish, and at a very enhanced
price.

" Again, your expenses of the past year have been nec-
essarily greater than they will be for any year to come. It
is not in my opinion, therefore, the diminution of your
school, so much as the increase in your expenses over and
above your income, which has caused you to be alarmed.

" As regards the existence of another school, I persist
still in the opinion that it cannot interfere in any way with
your success."

Here the Bishop gives his reasons for this opinion, and
after dwelling at length on the subject, continues:

" Certainly, I would not sanction anything which I could
reasonably suppose would be to your detriment. I think
I may appeal to yourselves to say whether I have left any-
thing undone since you have been in the diocese to aid you
and to co-operate with you in the establishment of a relig-
ious educational institution, which has been already and I
trust is still destined to be for many generations a blessing
which the Catholic people are, alas ! themselves but too
slow to appreciate. Yet, for my own part, I do not see the
slightest reason for discouragement."

The Bishop then refers to some changes in discipline

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EARLY DAYS AT MANHATTANVILLE

which might prove advantageous, such as public entertain-
ments, distribution of premiums; literary disputations in
presence of parents, etc., at which he says he always pre-
sides with genuine pleasure.

" There is only one other topic to which I shall allude.
You know that I have never been in a situation to aid you
from any resources of my own. You know, also, that I have
never advised or encouraged any means which would indi-
cate that you were restricted or, at least, so limited in your
resources as to require aid from the well disposed of our
Catholic population. In this country I feared that such a
course would react injuriously on your Institute, and hence
both here and in France I have held the same language,
especially in reference to your present purchase. Nor has
anything occurred to alter my views on this subject. If your
superiors can only have confidence enough to aid and sus-
tain you in reference to any temporary deficiency in your
income, or to any necessary improvements which you may
require in your buildings, I shall guarantee that you will be
able to refund such advances. If they do not, but are will-
ing that I should make known in such way as to enlist the
sympathy of the charitable in your behalf, I shall pledge
myself again that it will not be necessary for you to ask
any aid from abroad. But at all events, I beg you never to
allow your courage to fail. There is no reason for it, and
even if there were, the Church cries out every day, in a
sense which religious persons above all should understand,
' Sursum Corda ! '

" I fear I have fatigued you by this long epistle, which
I would have said to yourself in substance, if my last visit
had not been so late in the afternoon as to require the cur-
tailment of the conversation.

" Recommending myself to the prayers of the Com-
munity, I remain,

" Faithfully, your father and servant in Xt,

"JOHN HUGHES, Bishop of New York."
125

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Happily this letter is one of the few found among
Mother Hardey's papers. We may well believe that it gave
her new courage to pass through the many trials and hard-
ships which she had to endure before Manhattanville
reached the height of prosperity to which she raised it.

" During the early years at Manhattanville," writes one
of the religious, " our Mother's work and cares were almost
beyond endurance. Some were more ready to criticise and
thwart her projects than to aid her in executing them.
Alone, and in silence, she carried a burden which one less
courageous would have thrown down in despair. But it
was not in human aid or sympathy that she sought strength
and courage. Many times during the day, and late at night,
might she be seen near the Tabernacle, in loving colloquy
with the Heart of Jesus, to promote whose glory she
counted as nothing her own suffering and fatigue."

The letters of Mother Barat give us an idea of the
almost incredible labors of Mother Hardey, as well as of
the many and varied trials which caused her to sow in tears
what those who have come after her have reaped in joy.

" Try, my daughter," writes Mother Barat, " to divide
your occupations among your subjects. However gifted a
Superior may be, she cannot do everything herself. Appoint
Mother Trincano assistant as well as mistress of novices.
During your absence from Manhattanville let her be su-
perior par interim. Can you not find some one to whom
you may confide the care of the treasury, or at least one
who can assist you in this department, for I see the neces-
sity of your keeping the title of treasurer and superintend-
ing the temporalities of the house. Notwithstanding your
occupations, I believe it advisable for you to continue to
direct the school and to correspond with the parents of the
pupils as much as possible ; but you should have at your
service a reliable Mistress, who can replace you in main-
taining order and in attending to the numerous details of
the government, for both teachers and pupils."

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EARLY DAYS AT MANHATTANVILLE

But anxieties of a graver nature than the multiplicity of
her daily duties often weighed upon Mother Hardey. Debts
had to be paid, and the funds were often lacking. One of
her daughters writes: "A note of $1500 was due on a certain
day and our Mother had not wherewith to redeem it. As
ever, her trust was in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. She
appealed to the fervent prayers of the Community and
novices to obtain the required amount. Deep was our
gratitude to God, when a few days later Mother Trincano
told us that the old place at Astoria had found a purchaser,
and the first payment would be exactly $1500. The dear
Mother was radiant with faith and joy. As for Mother
Hardey, she remained until a late hour that night before
the Tabernacle, thankfully communing with Him who had
so mercifully come to her aid. A little later a sum of $1000
was needed, and again we were asked to pray, as the con-
sequences would be serious if the payment was not made
when due. Needless to say, we redoubled our fervor. The
eve of the important day came, and with it the answer to
our prayers. A Cuban gentleman, before leaving for
Europe, handed Mother Hardey $1000 in gold, as a deposit
for the pension of his children, telling her to use the money
if it could be of service to her. We all looked upon this as
a marvelous protection of Divine Providence. Mother Har-
dey said nothing, but the expression of her countenance
plainly indicated the emotions of her heart."

After the transfer from the city to Astoria the day
pupils, as we have seen, were removed to Bleecker Street,
but the house was closed after a year, to the great regret of
the Bishop. In February, 1848, he pleaded for the reopen-
ing of a day school in the city, and, with Mother Barat's
consent, 134 Bleecker Street, another dwelling was rented,
and before long a large number of pupils were admitted. It
was a convenient place for the work of spiritual retreats, as
also for the meetings of the Children of Mary; but while
the opening of this house contributed much to the advance-

127

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

ment of religion, it added greatly to the solicitude of Mother
Hardey. Her subjects were so few in number that she was
obliged to assign the charge of the house to a young re-
ligious, Madame Sarah Jones, who had but recently com-
pleted her noviceship. Mother Hardey, however, reserved
for herself the direction of the little family and the super-
intendence of all that related to the school. She set apart
one day in each month for these duties, but pressing busi-
ness often called her more frequently to the city. These
visits became for the zealous superior opportunities for prac-
ticing holy poverty. She could not afford to keep a horse
and carriage, and even the fare in the Bloomingdale stage
was somewhat of a drain upon her slender purse, so she
usually availed herself of the butcher's wagon for a drive
to the city. As the religious in those days wore a secular
costume in traveling it was easy to pass unnoticed. On one
occasion, as she was about to leave for the city, she saw a
farmer's wagon at the door, and asked the driver to let her
lide with him. " But, Mother," exclaimed the portress,
" you surely will not ride in that open wagon ! " " Why
not? " she replied. " With my veil over my face I can pass
for the farmer's wife." Then stepping into the wagon she
started off with the good man, who appreciated the honor
of her company and called for her again in the evening.

" How eagerly we looked for her coming! " writes Ma-
dame Jones. " We spent our brightest days when she was
with us, and they gave us new strength to work generously
when deprived of her presence. Weenjoyed to the utmost the
evening hours when grouped around her we listened to her
precious counsels, and drew from her words the spirit of
the Society she loved so much. She never tired of speak-
ing to us of our Mother General, Mothers Eugenie and Mur-
phy, of the early days of Saint Michael's, and we never grew
weary of listening. Wishing to prolong those delightful
moments, our timekeeper once secretly stopped the clock.
The conversation continued, when Mother Hardey was sud-

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EARLY DAYS AT MANHATTANVILLE

denly startled by hearing the city clock strike ten ! She
looked at us with such amazement that the guilty one
hastened to confess her fault. ' Never do that again, my
child,' was the rebuke gently given, ' or I shall lose confi-
dence in your fidelity.'

" Our little home was the favored spot chosen by our
Mother for her annual retreat. The air of solitude which
then surrounded her, her recollection and absorption in
prayer made a deep impression upon us, and our hearts re-
echoed the words of a Jesuit Father who directed her, ' Your
Mother is a Saint!'"

With advancing years, Mother Hardey was practicing
with ever increasing fidelity the wise counsels addressed to
her by Mother Barat towards the close of 1847. " Above
all, my daughter, remain in the peace of Jesus, in the midst
of your incessant occupations. Do what you can to supply
what is wanting, but do not kill yourself. Manage to get
some extra time to repair your strength near the Source of
Life, for without help from the Good Master you will surely
break down. How gladly I would go to Manhattanville, if
I were only able ! You are always the first in my thoughts,
for I desire your perfection ; nor shall I be satisfied until you
attain to the very highest possible."

129

CHAPTER XIII.

FOUNDATIONS AT EDEN HALL — HALIFAX — BUFFALO — CERE-
MONIES IN THE MANHATTANVILLE CHAPEL — 1847-1851.

In 1846, Bishop Kenrick asked Mother Hardey to estab-
lish a convent in Philadelphia. In reply to her answer that
she would submit his request to the Mother General, he
wrote : " If you must await an answer from Paris, it is
needless to write, for I have promised the Ursulines to ac-
cept them if you decline."

Thus pressed by the Bishop, Mother Hardey represented
the case to the Mother General, adding: " Although it costs
me greatly to act without your authorization, I am at pres-
ent compelled either to accept immediately or to give up
the opportunity of making a foundation in Philadelphia. I
have also received a letter from the Provincial of the Jesuits
in Georgetown, urging me to comply at once with the
Bishop's wishes. After consulting Our Lord in prayer, and
asking counsel of friends competent to advise me, I wrote
to Mother Boilevin to meet me in Philadelphia that we
might together learn the Bishop's views and decide upon
the wisest course to adopt."

This letter was followed a few weeks later by another:
" The Bishop has consented to await your decision, yet he is
so sure of your approval that he made me pledge my word,
in your name, that we would transfer the McSherrystown
establishment to Philadelphia next spring, but with the
proviso that you are to decide whether we shall rent or
purchase."

Mother Barat having given her consent, the boarding
school was closed at McSherrystown and an academy
opened on Logan Square in the Bishop's own residence,
which he placed at the disposition of the religious, accepting
for himself a few rooms in the episcopal seminary. But

130

EDEN HALL, HALIFAX, BUFFALO

Mother Hardey recognized the necessity of procuring for
her daughters a residence in the country, so she began at
once to look for a suitable location. The Cowperthwaite
estate, situated about ten miles from the city, was offered
for sale at a very moderate price in 1847. She purchased
this earthly paradise, whose varied beauties won for it the
title of " Eden Hall," and confided it to the care of Mother
Tucker, the Mistress General of Manhattanville, a woman
of great influence and literary ability, as well as of deep and
enlightened piety. The most ardent desire of Mother
Tucker was to instil into the hearts of her children a prac-
tical devotion to the " Mother of Sorrows," and so well did
she succeed that even to this day the atmosphere of Eden
Hall seems impregnated with it. One evening in May,
1848, during a retreat given by Rev. Father Barbelin, S.J.,
the pupils were walking through the quiet groves singing
the Stabat Mater, just as Mr. George Edwards called to
see the superior. He was much impressed by the mournful
strains and remarked that their sweet voices inspired love
for our Blessed Lady. " Yes," answered Mother Tucker,
" they obtain all they ask from our Lady of Dolors."
" Well," said Mr. Edwards, " if they can obtain for me the
success of a lawsuit now pending, I will give you $3000
towards building a new church." Mother Tucker at once
informed the religious and pupils of Mr. Edwards' request
and promise, and before retiring that night they recited
three thousand Hail Marys. The next evening Mr. Ed-
wards returned to announce the success of the prayers and
to make good his promise.

The corner stone of the new church was laid October
30, 1849, by Archbishop Hughes, who also, on November
27, 1851, performed the ceremony of consecration, assisted
by Bishop Demers, Bishop Kenrick having been trans-
ferred to the See of Baltimore. Two Bishops, forty priests,
and a band of seminarians took part in the ceremony, but
Mother Hardey could not be present, as she had left for

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Paris the previous October. Archbishop Hughes pro-
nounced the little Gothic chapel as the most beautiful in
the States. In fact it was the first convent chapel to be con-
secrated. The sermon was preached by Dr. Forbes at the
High Mass which followed the consecration. The cere-
monies lasted four hours.

Mother Hardey was actively engaged during the winter
of 1848 with preparations for two foundations, one in Hali-
fax, Nova Scotia, the other in Buffalo, New York.

The Church in Nova Scotia had long been struggling for
its rights. The penal laws of the eighteenth century had
been applied to the British Colonies and as in the Mother
Country, the penalty was death for the priest who cele-
brated the Holy Sacrifice. But faith grew strong in spite
of persecution, as the Catholic population increased by the
arrival of emigrants from the Old World. Converts were
also brought into the Church, chiefly by the labors of the
zealous and tireless Bishop Lawlor, and the govern-
ment closed its eyes to the fact that Catholics were begin-
ning to win over their neighbors. By degrees Catholicity
began to be treated with much more consideration. To help
on the work Bishop Walsh, the successor of Bishop Lawlor,
labored to procure for his flock a social position that would
give them an influence for good in society, and on that ac-
count he assumed the bearing of one invested with dignity.
He put his coat-of-arms on his carriage, and when govern-
ment officers arrived from England he paid them a formal
call and gave a banquet in their honor. The world then
began to offer the prelate the homage which it is ever ready
to lay at the feet of the great.

After a time, slumbering prejudice was aroused. The
Bishop's freedom of action was condemned, and a petition
was sent to Parliament to prohibit the erection of Catholic
churches in Nova Scotia, but the Bishop was determined to
frustrate the designs of his enemies. Having planned to
build a mortuary chapel in the cemetery, he had all the

132

EDEN HALL, HALIFAX, BUFFALO

materials quietly prepared, the stone dressed, windows
made, and when all was ready he fixed the day and five hun-
dred mechanics assembled before sunrise to begin the work.
Even the women took part in the enterprise, for they cooked
and furnished the meals for the laborers. Strong hands and
willing hearts speedily accomplished the task. Between the
hours of sunrise and sunset the modest shrine was built,
the earth was carted away, and the church was enclosed
by a strong palisade. It received the name of the " One Day
Chapel." The dreaded prohibition never arrived and Catho-
lic emancipation was extended to Nova Scotia as to other
lands under British rule.

Mother' Hardey, with a small colony of her daughters,
arrived in Halifax May I9th, 1849. They were received by
Bishop Walsh with paternal kindness and conducted by him
to the home prepared for them in the beautiful suburbs of
Brookside. The house was a frame building, surrounded by
three acres of land thickly planted with fruit trees. Every-
thing bespoke the kind thoughtfulness of the Bishop. The
rooms were furnished, the cellar stocked with provisions,
and a fine bookcase contained many valuable books. But
the good Bishop went further. To the useful he added the
ornamental. A pious picture adorned each apartment, but
what touched the hearts of the religious most deeply was a
large painting in their little chapel, representing the appa-
rition of Our Lord to Blessed Margaret Mary.

An amusing incident happened a few days after their in-
stallation. As the Bishop in Nova Scotia is called " My
Lord," Mother Hardey instructed her daughters to conform
at once to the custom. One day the Sister Portress hurried
to her room and announced in some trepidation, " Mother,
our Lord is here ! " Mother Hardey, supposing the Blessed
Sacrament had been brought to the house, hastened to the
chapel, but seeing no one there she went towards the par-
lor, where to her surprise and amusement she found the
Bishop awaiting her.

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Eight days later Our Lord came in truth to take up His
abode with this little family, which then numbered five
religious, five boarding pupils and eight day scholars. As
the house was in the vicinity of a national fort, the children
often went to their duties to the sound of martial music.

Before leaving Halifax Mother Hardey installed Mother
Peacock as superior, and in words full of unction and en-
couragement urged her daughters to strive to lighten the
burden of their new mother by their cheerful obedience.

On her return to Manhattanville, she wrote the follow-
ing letter to Mother Barat : " When I left Halifax there
were twenty-six pupils in the school, six of them boarders.
All the expenses were defrayed by Bishop Walsh, who sent
me the receipts on the eve of my departure. The house was
furnished, the rent paid, the traveling expenses returned to
me, so that the school will have only the current expenses
to defray. His Lordship's goodness and generosity are un-
paralleled. He was kind enough to say that the day of our
entrance into his diocese was the happiest day of his life.
He was shaving when the news of our arrival reached him ;
throwing aside his razor he hastened to the wharf to meet
us, one side of his face shaven, the other untouched. He
conducted us to his own palace, where we spent several
hours before starting for Brookside. The first ladies of the
city were already there completing arrangements for our
reception, so the good Bishop delayed our arrival by taking
us to visit the chief attractions of the city and suburbs."

Mother Hardey's letters to Mother Peacock are among
the very few we have been able to find, as she required her
daughters to destroy her letters whenever she suspected they
were being preserved. Her interest in the new foundation
is evinced in the following lines:

" MY DEAR MOTHER :

" I have delayed answering your letter in the hope of
being able to send a man to your assistance, but Halifax has

134

EDEN HALL, HALIFAX, BUFFALO

so bad a name that even Moses seems unwilling to emigrate.
I am inclined to think, however, that his brother Patrick,
who is just as good as Moses, will accept the offer. If so, he
will sail with his wife and son on the Cambria. We prefer
keeping the orphan until our religious leave, which will be
in about a month.

" 10 P.M.

" Since the above was written, I have heard from our
Irish friends. They cannot leave by this week's steamer.
Master Pat, the son, is not expected to live until morning.
You will be obliged to wait for your goods, as I do not wish
to send them except in the care of some trustworthy person.
Madame Thompson has purchased the articles you desired,
and as she does not seem inclined to charge for them, I
shall not insist. All here are greatly interested in Halifax.
The altar linen was given by ladies and children expressly
for your chapel. The candelabras are a present from Saint
Aloysius, and you may thank me for them. ... I feel
at times very uneasy, knowing how much you have to do. I
hope the Heart of Jesus will watch over you, and give you
strength and courage. We can expect consolation from
Jesus alone. Let us apply to Him in our difficulties. It is
useless to seek assistance elsewhere.

" It is probable we shall commence building at Eden
Hall in the course of next month. Mr. Edwards is to give
$3000 towards the church. Here the Bishop says we must
have ours separate from the addition. It will be in the rear
of the old, or present, edifice, something like Bishop Walsh's
' One Day Church.' If Sister Henrietta were here, instead
of saying ' our Lord has come ! ' she would tell us, ' our
Lord has gone ! ' Our Lord has gone down to the children's
chapel. Their number having increased with the heat,
which was almost intolerable last week, we were obliged
to make the sacrifice of the chapel.

" I beseech you, dear Mother, write often. You need not
take such pains, nor write so large a hand, but let me

135

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

hear everything concerning yourself and your little family.
. . . I hope you pray for me. . . . The cocks are
crowing! Instead of wishing you 'Good night/ I should
say ' Good morning.' I hope you will be able to read my
letter."

Another foundation was made in Buffalo in the summer
of 1849, in compliance with the repeated solicitations of
Bishop Timon, whose letters to Mother Barat pictured in
glowing terms a future full of promise. Mother Hardey
visited Buffalo with Mother Trincano, who was destined to
be the first superior of the foundation. They received hos-
pitality from the Sisters of Charity, and here, as elsewhere,
Mother Hardey left the most agreeable remembrance of her
visit. Nearly forty years later the venerable Sister
Anacharia thus describes her impressions : " Mother Har-
dey appeared to me the most perfect type of a religious su-
perior. At a glance, one could see that she was born to
rule. Her queenly bearing and noble manners were ren-
dered still more attractive by the beautiful simplicity of
her amiable virtues. I can recall yet, word for word, her in-
structions in regard to her meals, on the evening of her ar-
rival : ' Only coffee and bread for breakfast, soup and one
kind of meat for dinner, one vegetable and no dessert.' It
was easy to divine the delicacy of her motive, for we were
ourselves leading foundation life. Before her departure,
however, we had reason to admire in her generous gifts
what seemed to be the ruling principle of her life, that it is
more blessed to give than to receive."

These two foundations, of Halifax and Buffalo, made
heavy demands on the community of Manhattanville, as
fifteen of the members left for the new missions, and hence
we read in the Journal of the house : " The loss of so many
of our sisters leaves a void in our ranks not easy to fill.
What sacrifices on both sides! We who remain must de-
vote ourselves more than ever to a life of abnegation and
labor, while for those who have left us, the pain of separa-

136

EDEN HALL, HALIFAX, BUFFALO

tion is sweetened by the desire of making the Heart of Jesus
known and loved in other parts of our dear America."

The Manhattanville school was meanwhile rapidly grow-
ing in numbers, so that a new chapel and additional accom-
modations became indispensable. " The Clemency of God,"
says St. Catherine of Sienna, " becomes the servant of those
who put their trust in Him ! " Mother Hardey's life is a
confirmation of the truth of these words. The buildings
were begun, and the chapel was completed in the spring
of 1850. On Easter Monday a memorable ceremony took
place in this beautiful sanctuary. Madame Alicia Dunne
and her sister Margaret knelt before the altar, the former
to pronounce her first vows, the latter to receive the white
veil. A large number of relatives and friends were present.
Bishop McCloskey, Fathers Starrs, Loughlin, and several
other eminent ecclesiastics were in the sanctuary, while
Archbishop Hughes made the occasion doubly memorable
by an eloquent discourse in vindication of the monastic
state. He congratulated the happy sisters, whom he com-
pared to Martha and Mary, the younger having received, as
it were, from the elder, the glad tidings, " The Master has
come and calleth for thee." " It has been said," continued the
Bishop, " that you are selfish and cold-hearted, that it would
have been better for you to have remained in the world, to
improve it by your influence and example, and the exercise
of various deeds of Christian charity. I answer, for your
justification, are you not devoting yourselves to the welfare
of the world? Are you not to be engaged in planting the
seeds of virtue and knowledge in the hearts and minds of
future mistresses of home and society, which will be all the
better for the training given by the silent hidden inmates of
the cloister? They accuse you of ingratitude to your friends.
The accusation is false. Is it not religion that touches
friendship with its heavenly flame, and makes it pure by
cleansing it from the jealousy and self-gratification that
enter into worldly affection?"

137

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

His Grace then made a comparison between the phan-
toms of pleasure that delude the votaries of the world and
the unsullied joys that delight the religious, who daily im-
bibes truth at the fountains of Holy Writ, and in meditation
and prayer gazes upon the infinite beauty of God. In an-
swer to the world's question, " Can nuns be happy ? " he went
on to say : " I venture to assert that the very persons who
ask that question are themselves writhing under the sting
of hidden anguish, trying to conceal the canker worm that is
preying upon their own hearts. Again, the world exclaims :
' How dreadful if they should hereafter regret this step !
They cannot leave ; they are bound by vows.' Permit me
to ask whether marriage is not a vow. Does it not bind you
to a comparative stranger? And where did you make your
novitiate? Where did you study the character, habits and
qualities of the individual selected to be the partner of your
life? How many have taken two years to reflect upon the
anticipated step ? Some take only a few months, others less
time, yet no one thinks of inquiring, 'Are you happy?'
Those who ask this question concerning nuns have not the
heart to understand the joys of religious life. Let history
bear testimony to the truth. During the French Revolution
the soldiers forced open the doors of convents, thinking they
were performing an act of mercy by giving a happy release
to the poor starving captives. The doors stood ajar, but
the inmates fled like frightened doves around the altar,
clinging to the pillars of the sanctuary until forced away by
bayonets. If the marriage vow were loosened, how many
such doves would there be? The frequent application for
divorce gives answer. Yet people pity the inmates of re-
ligious houses and ask, ' Are they happy? ' '

Having dwelt at length upon the contrast between the
life of the secular and that of the religious, the Archbishop
concluded by congratulating the happy sisters on having
severed the ties which bound them to the things of this
world, to devote themselves without reserve to the glory of

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EDEN HALL, HALIFAX, BUFFALO

the Heart of Jesus and the good of souls. This day of joy
for Mother Hardey and her daughters was followed by dis-
tressing news from Halifax. Scarlet fever had broken out
in the school and carried off two of the children. Physicians
pronounced the place unhealthy. The pupils were dispersed.
Brookside was abandoned and the community was trans-
ferred to another location purchased by Bishop Walsh to
be their future home. There were two small cottages on
the grounds, and in these the religious started the school
again until the erection of the new academy. Mother Har-
dey wrote at once the following sympathetic letter to
Mother Peacock:

" MY DEAR MOTHER :

" It would be difficult for me to express what I felt on
the receipt of your last letter, containing the news of the
death of your dear little Eleanor. I tried to flatter myself
that it was one of her cousins who had been taken, not the
promising child whom I had the happiness of offering to
Our Divine Lord at the opening of Brookside. There is one
consolation, dear Mother, that the first and choicest fruits
of your school were culled by the Heart of Jesus. Both
dear children will be your powerful intercessors before the
throne of God. Offer to the afflicted and Christian parents
my sincere sympathy, for the sacrifice of such children
requires more than ordinary courage. We have been pray-
ing for you also, dear Mother, that you may receive strength
to bear the Cross generously. . . . You did perfectly
right to move and to presume my approval without waiting
for an answer. This you must always do in like emergen-
cies. Say to his Lordship that I am extremely sorry to be
unable to assist you in defraying the expenses of your new
abode. We have been obliged to borrow money at 7 per
cmt., and at this moment a note of $4000 is due, and I can-
not tell where I shall get the money. Mr. Hargous has com-
menced a railroad to the Pacific which has drained his purse,

139

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

otherwise there would be no difficulty. I think it would be
well to give up Brookside altogether, if the opinion prevails
that it is the seat of the disease. You must, of course, con-
sult your friends. They are your best advisers, and I am
inclined to think it a prudent measure. What a blessing
that this property could not be purchased. I can say no
more to-day, except to assure you, dear Mother, that you
are ever present to my mind. Please let me hear from you
as frequently as possible. His Lordship shall have a letter."
During the course of this year, 1850, Mother Hardey
,was made very happy by the return to the Faith of two
young ladies who had awakened her deepest interest. Left
orphans at an early age, Sarah and Eustace Tracey had been
brought up by Protestant relatives, and consequently in-
duced to abandon the Faith in which they had been bap-
tized. Having entered the school at Manhattanville, Sarah,
the elder, became a Catholic. A struggle arose between
her conscience and her early prejudices, but Mother Har-
dey's wise counsels and tender sympathy sustained her
in the conflict. Yielding at last to her convictions, she
begged to make her confession. The Sacrament of Penance
filled her soul with a joy she had never known before.
" Who can express," she exclaimed, " the wondrous power
of those three words, ' Ego te absolve!' (I absolve thee).
How they have lightened my heart of its burden and filled
it with peace and happiness." After her First Communion,
Sarah returned home, where her beautiful example soon in-
fluenced her sister. A few months later Eustace wrote to
Mother Hardey : " I try to be good and faithful to the advice
you gave me, but I can never equal Sarah. She makes a medi-
tation every day, and in all circumstances is most edifying."
In concluding, she expressed the desire to spend Holy Week
at the convent, but her last word was an acknowledgment
that she was still far from entering the Church. During her
visit at Manhattanville she again proposed to Mother Har-
dey the same doubts that had perplexed her at school. The

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EDEN HALL, HALIFAX, BUFFALO

patient Mother listened long and attentively, as if she had
never heard the story before. Seeing that this soul was
trifling with grace, she said gently, but firmly, " Eustace,
confession is your stumbling block. Prepare yourself at
once, for I will not let you leave here until you have made
your peace with God." Light and strength came with these
words to the soul of the young girl, who, like her sister, soon
found in the life giving sacraments the fullness of joy and
peace.

While occupied in doing good to the souls which Divine
Providence brought under her personal influence, Mother
Hardey continued her mission of comforter to those who
looked to her for help in the hour of need. In another letter
to Mother Peacock, she says : " I feel deeply the Cross
which it has pleased our Lord to send to you, though it may
be a blessing for the house, as it was for the dear innocent
child who was called to her eternal home before sin sullied
her soul. She will no doubt pray for those who taught her
to love the Sacred Heart of Jesus. . . . Trials of this
kind may cause the parents to withdraw their children for a
while, but, believe me, they will never cause the ruin of a
house in which God is faithfully served. I regret sincerely
having disappointed you and his Lordship in regard to the
pecuniary aid you asked. I really did not mean that you
should not have the few hundred dollars needed at the pres-
ent moment, but that for the next two years I could give
nothing more. How could it be possible for me to lend you
money, when we have had to raise $6000 at 7 per cent.? As
I mentioned in my last letter, if we succeed in finding a good
purchaser for our ' twelve acres ' we shall be able to assist
you at once, but not otherwise. His Lordship's telegram
never came to hand. I have had only one and that concern-
ing the purchase. I am delighted to hear that you have re-
ceived a letter from our saintly Mother General. What will
you give me if I send you her portrait, or, rather, for having
sent it to you? As for the altar linen, I have received

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

none for you nor for any one else. I fear your box has been
lost. Pray to St. Anthony. You shall have everything that
has been destined for your pet foundation, though I should
say my pet, for so it is generally called by the Buffalo nuns.
Deeply interested as I am in your establishment, I must
confess that I am equally so in all the others. I do not nor
did I ever understand the spirit of partiality.

" If my last letter has not been received, you are not
aware of my sister's arrival from Louisiana. Mother Cutts
was kind enough to let Bishop Timon have her for his foun-
dation, on condition that I would send some one to take her
place. Before I can authorize the use of the History of Eng-
land please send me a copy, that we may judge of its
merits, for, as you are aware, no book can be introduced into
the school unless approved. I shall have the arithmetic ex-
amined and give you the answer. I would say, however, as
Madame Tenbroeck remarked, it cannot be the best, since it
is not known in the States.

" I have a favor to ask, dear Mother. It is this : Please
spare my eyes and not your paper. Do not cross your writ-
ing any more. I will send you a quire of paper if needed.

" Pray for me and believe me ever in C. J.,

" A. HARDEY, R.S.C.J."

142

CHAPTER XIV.

FOUNDATION OF THE ACADEMY AND ORPHANAGE IN DETROIT —
MOTHER HARDEY ATTENDS THE COUNCIL OF 1851 — FOUN-
DATION IN ALBANY — CHOLERA IN BUFFALO — DEATH
OF MOTHER DUCHESNE — 1851-1852.

Among all the foundations which had been organized by
Mother Hardey, there is probably none more interesting in
its history nor more harassed by perplexing difficulties than
that of Detroit. Its origin may be traced to the desire
burning in the heart of a zealous missionary, Rev. Gabriel
Richard, who had traveled with Mother Duchesne and
her companions from New Orleans to Saint Louis
in 1818. Their heroic courage and enthusiastic longing to
make the Heart of Jesus known and loved in the New World
produced a deep impression upon the man of God and in-
spired him with the hope of seeing them share in his labors
in the untilled fields of the Great Northwest. He was never
weary of telling his people in Detroit of the brave women
with whom he had traveled, whose love for the Sacred Heart
of Jesus and the salvation of souls made them ready for
every sacrifice. Among those who inherited his desire to
see a convent of the Sacred Heart in Detroit were Mr. and
Mrs. Beaubien, French Canadians, possessed of a large for-
tune and full of zeal for the interests of religion, who, after
having lost their only child, saw in this affliction a special
design of Providence, in wishing them to be father and
mother to the orphans and friends to the poor. In order to
carry out their designs, they resolved to secure the services
of the Religious of the Sacred Heart, and in 1849 tnev made
application to Mother Hardey, offering a fine property for
an academy, on condition that a specified number of orphan
girls should be supported and educated. Having obtained
the consent of Mother Barat to this proposal, Mother Har-

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

(ley completed the final arrangements in April, 1851, and on
the i/th of May Mother Trincano and her four companions
arrived in Detroit and were enthusiastically received by
their kind benefactors in their own home. When they en-
tered the house they found the parlor ablaze with lights,
and grouped around an improvised altar of the Blessed Vir-
gin the relatives and friends of the family, waiting to join in
the hymn of thanksgiving. Mother Trincano was asked to
intone the Magnificat, but scarcely had the singing ceased
when Mrs. Beaubien exclaimed : " That's what I call Latin
singing ! In the Church I could never understand what they
were saying, but I have understood you ! Mary is indeed
triumphant ! It is during her month that these good Sisters
have come, and I tell you, Antoine, if the devil has any
horns left they must be very short now ! "

On the Feast of the Sacred Heart the religious and their
benefactors assisted at a very fine sermon on devotion to the
Sacred Heart. While the discourse was being delivered,
Mrs. Beaubien made a running commentary on the speak-
er's words. " Yes, thanks to these good Sisters, the fire
burns ! It is you," she said to Mother Trincano, " who have
kindled the flame. The devotion to the Sacred Heart re-
mained hidden under the ashes ever since the death of
Father Richard. I told the people, and the Bishop, too, that
nothing could be done until the good French Sisters would
come to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart."

As the house destined for the religious was not ready, a
temporary one was rented in order that the orphanage and
school might be opened without delay, but in spite of the
good intentions of the founders the religious suffered great
privations. The necessities of life were often wanting to
them, for their benefactors sometimes forgot their promises
to them to provide for their needs until an adequate number
of pupils should enable them to support themselves. How-
ever, the excellent dispositions of the orphans and the wide
field of usefulness opened to them compensated for every-

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ACADEMY AND ORPHANAGE IN DETROIT

thing. While their pupils were daily increasing in numbers,
a storm was gathering which threatened to destroy the mis-
sion. The Beaubien heirs protested against the right of
Mr. and Mrs. Beaubien to alienate their property in favor
of the Sacred Heart, and they instituted a lawsuit against
them and the convent. When Mother Hardey was apprised
of the litigation she consulted her friend and legal adviser,
Mr. Charles O'Conor, then the most distinguished lawyer
in New York. He recognized the difficulties of the case, and
after much unsatisfactory correspondence on the subject,
announced to Mother Hardey his intention of going to De-
troit, an offer which, through delicacy, she declined, know-
ing the loss his own interests might sustain by a prolonged
absence, but Mr. O'Conor answered with characteristic
brevity, " I need a vacation and I shall take it in Detroit ! "
After considerable research he found that, according to the
laws of Michigan, the act of donation was null. He drew
up another paper, but neither explanations nor entreaties
could induce Mr. Beaubien to sign it. His obstinacy was
conquered, however, by the piety and perseverance of his
wife. It was most amusing to hear Mother Hardey relate
how the victory was gained. " One day," she said, " Mrs.
Beaubien took me to her home, for the purpose of persuad-
ing her husband to sign the document. The carriage had
scarcely started than her ' Ave Marias ' began. Having for-
gotten her beads, she counted her Aves on her fingers, press-
ing them in turn upon her breast, but keeping her mind all
the time fixed upon the object of her prayers. She thought
and prayed aloud, and the combination was something like
this : ' Hail, Mary, full of grace — O Mother, we forgot
that important point — the Lord is with thee — I must say
this to Mr. Beaubien — blessed art thou among women —
there is another point to be remembered — and blessed is the
fruit — we must not lose this grand opportunity of procuring
the glory of God.' And thus her Hail Marys continued until
the end of the drive."

10 145

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

When they met Mr. Beaubien he was greeted with this
naive apostrophe : " Antoine, how foolish you are ! Do you
not see that it is to the Heart of Jesus we are giving our
property, and that we could not dispose of it in a better
way? I shall require Him to observe the conditions. If He
refuses, that is His affair! He is our security. O you fool-
ish man ! Do you want these good Sisters to be tormented
after our death ? When a thing is to be done, let it be done
in the right way. How glad we should be that this good
lawyer discovered the flaw. That shows his cleverness.
Our antagonists think they will have their own way when
we are gone. But I know how to catch them. Let us sign
the deed and keep the matter secret. They will think we
are both very stupid, and when they try to oust these good
Sisters, they will show the paper, and then won't they be
furious ! Don't you see, Antoine, we are doing this for the
good Jesus and for no one else?" Such arguments were
irresistible.

When the old couple were asked separately by the court
whether they had been influenced to sign the deed, " I would
like to see any one influence me," said Mrs. Baubien. " Mr.
Lawyer, I have done my own will since I came into this
world, and it is with my whole heart that I make over this
property to the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus."

This good lady, whose honest expressions were the out-
pourings of a generous heart, usually found her husband
willing to co-operate in her charitable undertakings, and if
persuasions were needed, we have seen how perfectly she
had acquired the art of bringing his will into harmony with
her own.

Having settled the difficulties in Detroit, Mother Har-
dey returned to Manhattanville to prepare for her approach-
ing departure for Paris, whither she had been summoned to
attend the Seventh General Council of the Society. She
sailed on the 3d of October, 1851, accompanied by Mother
Cutts and Mother Sallion and Madame Margaret Dunne,

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ACADEMY AND ORPHANAGE IN DETROIT

the young novice already mentioned. This Council had
been convened in 1842, but for reasons given in a preceding
chapter the Mother General was obliged to adjourn it in-
definitely. Two years later she made another attempt to
assemble the members, and again in 1848, but the political
agitations preceding the downfall of the French monarchy
obliged her to defer it indefinitely. Finally, when in 1851
she summoned the provincial superiors, the crisis was pend-
ing which converted the second republic into the second
empire. Convinced that Paris would be the chief theatre
of the approaching revolution, Mother Barat decided to hold
the meeting in Lyons. It was one of the most important
Councils of the Society. It provided for the promulgation
of a decree issued by the Holy Father May 23, 1851, in
answer to a petition from the Mother General, which placed,
as it were, the last seal upon the Constitutions and govern-
ment of the Society. The Superior General was henceforth
to be assisted in the administration of the general govern-
ment by superiors chosen to share her authority and execute
her plans for the welfare of the Institute. According to the
wish of His Holiness, the words vicar and vicariates were
to be substituted for provincal and provinces, terms
hitherto in use. The Society, numbering at that time sixty-
five houses, was organized into ten vicariates, eight in
Europe and two in America. The convents in the Western
and Southern States were confided to the care of Mother
Cutts, and those in the Northern States and Canada to
Mother Hardey. It was also decided that a representative
of the Mother General should be sent to visit the American
houses. Mother du Rousier, the religious appointed as
visitatrix, was provincial in Piedmont when the Religious
of the Sacred Heart were banished on the absurd charge of
having favored the Austrian power. She had gone through
the perils of the revolution of 1848, had enjoyed the honor
of being caricatured on the stage in Turin and of being
burned in effigy on the public squares by the enemies of

147

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

faith and of the Religious Orders. On leaving Turin she
was appointed Mistress General of the Paris school, and it
was while exercising the duties of her charge that she was
selected by Mother Barat for her important mission.

After the council in Lyons, Mother Hardey returned to
Paris, where she enjoyed the consolation of the wise coun-
sels and familiar conversation of Mother Barat for several
weeks, and these restful days prepared her soul for the years
of toil and sacrifice that were awaiting her, while they ren-
dered still more painful the parting hour. " The day before,
our departure," writes Madame Margaret Dunne, " I was
helping Reverend Mother to pack the trunks. Several of
the Mothers came to her room to say ' Good-bye,' To my
surprise, I saw tears in her eyes, for it was unusual for her
to show emotion. When alone with her I ventured to ask :
' Mother, why do you weep? Do you not wish to go home?
You know how much your own children love you and long
for your return ! ' She looked at me sadly and said : ' My
child, you are only beginning your religious life, but if you
live long enough you will learn how terrible is the burden
of responsibility. If I could be freed from it, how gladly
would I obey ! ' The next morning we went to the little
tribune where our venerable Mother Foundress was making
her meditation, to ask her blessing on our journey. She
took Reverend Mother aside, talked to her for some mo-
ments, and when she clasped Reverend Mother in her arms
the latter sobbed as though her heart would break."

Mother Hardey gives an account of the voyage across
the Atlantic in a letter to Mother Barat, dated March i,
1852:

" MY VENERATED MOTHER :

" Here we are in sight of land, so I hasten to give you
the assurance of our safe journey, thanks to the prayers that
have been offered, though we have not escaped either storms
or accidents. Our Lord permitted the tempest to rage, but

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ACADEMY AND ORPHANAGE IN DETROIT

not to harm us, for He was watching over us. For the rirst
few days Mother Cutts and I were the only ones of our
party able to be on deck. Mother Gajal was stretched upon
her berth, expecting death at any moment ! Life and en-
ergy, however, returned to her and all the others, but just
as we were beginning to enjoy the ocean breeze the steamer
suddenly stopped, in consequence of the fracture of the ma-
chinery, and we had the prospect of several days delay with-
out moving and the remainder of the voyage to be made
with only one engine. This was not very encouraging news
for us, for besides the delay we knew our sailing would
be dangerous. While repairs were being made we resolved
to do our duty by prayer and mortification. We began a
novena as a preparation for the Month of Saint Joseph, and
promised greater fidelity to the preparation and fulfillment
of our spiritual exercises during the remainder of the jour-
ney. In a few hours the vessel started again and the next
day the repairs were finished. One of the priests on board
declared that St. Joseph had done the work. We offered
our grateful thanksgiving to the dear Saint. But this mis-
hap was only the forerunner of another more dangerous in-
cident. We met the equinoctial storm, and for forty-eight
hours we experienced all the horrors of an angry sea. The
waves dashed over the deck at each moment, the bridge
was washed away, and one of the passengers was caught
by the wind and pitched to the other side of the vessel,
where the sailors rescued him from a watery grave. Our
little band, left alone in our cabin tried to find calm and res-
ignation in prayer and confidence, since Jesus was not
asleep, but was watching over us and for us."

In conclusion she says : " My very Rev. Mother, your
words and your counsels were often the subject of our con-
versation. They are engraven upon our hearts, and we
promise you they will be reproduced in our future con-
duct."

On the third of March, the glad sounds of the convent

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

bell announced Mother Hardey's arrival at Manhattanville.
Her return was an occasion of great happiness to the pupils
as well as to her daughters. All felt the joy of her presence,
and as one of the religious writes, " A sense of security
came over us which we did not experience when our Mother
was away."

During her absence in France, Mother Hardey had been
replaced at Manhattanville by Mother Tucker, the Superior
of Eden Hall. The latter though fearless in actual danger
was prone to apprehend it, when acting for another. A
storm, an accident, the probability of robbers, even the bark-
ing of the dog at night, caused her alarm. The night after
Mother Hardey's return the dogs kept up incessant bark-
ing. One of the religious awoke Mother Tucker to inquire
what was to be done. The good mother, aroused from a
deep sleep, merely answered, " Let them bark, Mother is at
home." This little incident, though in itself trifling, shows
how Mother Hardey's presence was considered a safeguard
from every danger.

Immediately on her return she occupied herself with
preparations for a foundation of the Society in Al-
bany. She rented a house on Pearl Street, opposite the
most flourishing Protestant Academy in the city. Madame
Jennings was made superior, but she and her little band of
religious were surrounded by neighbors, who, at first, found
it impossible to appreciate or understand monastic life. For
instance, a lady kindly disposed sent them a note of invita-
tion to a social gathering. The letter was addressed to
" Mr. and Mrs. Sacred Heart." Of course, the invitation
was not accepted. The most prejudiced held aloof alto-
gether, and the curious came to obtain information. Among
the latter was a well educated gentleman, who remarked
on meeting the superior, " Madame, I suppose it is all the
same whether I address myself to you or to your husband."
The situation was amusing, but Mother Jennings, repress-
ing her laughter, availed herself of the opportunity to ex-
ISO

ACADEMY AND ORPHANAGE IN DETROIT

plain to her visitor the nature and obligations of religious
life, which so pleased and satisfied him that he became one
of the most loyal friends and benefactors of the convent.

Mention is made in the annals of the house of the pater-
nal kindness of Bishop McCloskey. " Our saintly prel-
ate," we read, " is the father and protector of our little
family. Hardly a day passes without a visit from him. He
is our ordinary confessor, and in his weekly conferences he
stimulates us to fervor in the accomplishment of the duties
of our holy vocation. His vicar general leaves nothing un-
done to promote our prosperity." We may add, in passing,
that Mother Hardey gained in the Rev. J. J. Conroy, then
vicar general, one of the truest friends the Society has ever
known.

Another extract alludes to the happiness of their family
life. " Rev. Father Wadhams, who called here yesterday,
made this remark : ' Do you know why I take pleasure in
coming to the Sacred Heart? It is because the very at-
mosphere of the house breathes peace and interior joy.
You appear to be so united and happy ! ' : It was this
spirit which was fostered by letters from Mother Hardey.
We quote the following, addressed to Madame Margaret
Dunne, who was one of the little band of foundresses :
" MY DEAR CHILD :

" I think of you very often when I am near the Tab-
ernacle, but especially while making the Holy Hour during
this privileged month, so dear to the Spouse of the Sacred
Heart. I have asked our Divine Master to draw you so
closely to Himself, that you will love Him alone. But in
order to reach this happy state you must study the amiable
perfections of that Adorable Heart, for we cannot love that
which we do not know, and, as Father Barelle says, ' It is
because we study Our Lord superficially that we love Him
so little.' Let the thought of our Good Master be continu-
ally before your mind, so that you will always consider
how He would act in like circumstances. For example,

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

when you are teaching, represent Him to yourself as a
Teacher. What patience, what sweetness in His voice and
manner! No harsh words pass His Divine Lips, no cross
looks, no deep drawn sighs! How does He teach? What
effect do His explanations produce? Now compare His
class with yours ? . . . Our study of Him must be made
practical, and then by persevering we shall become familiar
with His every word and look. Let this dear Jesus be
your nearest and dearest friend. Confide your trials and
difficulties to Him, refer to Him all your success. Take
everything as coming from His Fatherly hand. Make haste,
my child, to become a saint. Remember the promises you
have made to the Lord, your God ! "

We have given this lengthy extract to show how Mother
Hardey conveyed the highest lessons of spiritual life in
the simplest form. It was her maternal heart that influ-
enced souls, and bound them to her by the " bonds of char-
ity." To receive a line from her, to get her blessing, even
a smile or approving nod of her head, gave strength and
courage to her daughters in every conflict between nature
and grace. She governed by the power of attraction, but
her authority was never personal. The Heart of Jesus was
the principle, the model, the help and the reward of the
orders she gave, the virtues she required, and the sacrifices
she demanded.

Mother du Rousier, the new Visitatrix, arrived at Man-
hattanville on the 24th of May, 1852. She was welcomed
with filial affection as the representative of the Mother
General, and we learn from the following letter to Mother
Barat how favorably she was impressed by all she witnessed
there :

" I have found a beautiful house, situated in a superb
location. This establishment would do honor to France,
and it may be considered one of your finest, in respect to
buildings, scenery, and general surroundings. Its prosper-
ity is remarkable. There are over one hundred pupils,

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ACADEMY AND ORPHANAGE IN DETROIT

twelve novices and eight postulants, so you see the benedic-
tions of the Good Master rest upon this family. I have been
edified by the religious spirit of the community, so much
good will is evinced by all. The rule of silence is faithfully
observed, the regular exercises of piety are performed with
great exactitude and punctuality. I have found the spirit
of poverty well observed in all the departments, and the
furniture used by the religious is of the simplest and most
ordinary kind.

" The morning after my arrival I called upon the Arch-
bishop at his residence. He received me most cordially,
and a few days later came to Manhattanville. He testifies
the greatest esteem for the Society, and has spoken of you,
my venerated Mother, in terms which have rejoiced my
heart."

Mother Hardey accompanied Mother du Rousier in her
visits to the houses in the Vicariate. A great sorrow awaited
them in Buffalo, for the cholera was ravaging the city and
had already carried off three of the religious, when Mother
Cruice, their heroic superior, offered herself to God as a
victim to obtain the cessation of the scourge. Her prayer
was heard. She was attacked by the epidemic and was at
the point of death when the Mothers arrived. Braving the
contagion they remained at the bedside of the dying relig-
ious until her happy soul passed to its eternal reward. In
announcing to the bereaved community the loss of their
saintly superior, Mother du Rousier said : " The sacrifice has
been accepted by Him who is never outdone in generosity.
Your Mother is the last victim of this fearful malady. You
will be spared for her sake." These prophetic words were
verified. One of the pupils gives us an account of those
terrible days: "Although only eight years of age at that
time, I have still a vivid recollection of Mother Hardey's
visit. When she entered the Study Hall the morning after
Mother Cruice's funeral our hearts were well nigh broken.
Death had struck down three of our devoted Mistresses, and

153

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

our own ranks were thinned, many of the pupils having
been recalled to their homes. As Mother Hardey looked at
the sorrow-stricken faces that met her gaze her eyes filled
with tears. Drawn by the power of her sympathy we grad-
ually crept close to her, and when I felt her hand gently
caressing my brow I laid my head against her heart and
wept out the childish grief that had been suffocating me for
days."

Mother Hardey remained some time with the bereaved
family, but Mother du Rousier was called to Saint Charles,
Missouri, where the venerable Mother Duchesne was about
to close her apostolic career. With that lively faith which
had ever been one of her distinctive traits, the dying servant
of God received the Mother Visitatrix as the representative
of the Mother General, begged her blessing, and only after
she had received it would she consent to give hers in return.
On the i8th of November, 1852, she received Holy Viati-
cum, then repeated frequently, " Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I
give you my heart, my soul, and my life." " Come, Lord
Jesus, delay no longer," was her last pleading cry, as to-
wards noon she fell asleep in the peace of God. She was in
the 84th year of her age, and had labored thirty-four years
in the American missions. Mother du Rousier wrote to
Mother Hardey, as follows : " Mother Galwey has promised
to give you the details of the edifying death of our venerated
Mother Duchesne. It is the general opinion here that we
have lost a saint. The clergy, and the Archbishop especially,
speak of her with the greatest admiration. Monseigneur
Kenrick declared she was the noblest and most virtuous
soul he had ever known. Father de Smet says that while
living she was worthy of canonization. Our American
houses owe everything to her. She has opened the way to
us through many fatigues and privations. I feel that I
am acting in accordance with the wishes of our Mother
General in soliciting the suffrages prescribed for a deceased
Superior Vicar. It is a homage of gratitude which we owe

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ACADEMY AND ORPHANAGE IN DETROIT

to the memory of this venerable Mother. I arrived just in
time to receive her blessing and to recommend to her the
needs of our missions, and she promised me she would
treat of them earnestly with Our Lord. I count much upon
her intercession, for I believe she is all-powerful with the
Heart of Jesus."

The news of Mother Duchesne's death deeply affected
Mother Hardey. She had learned from Mother Aude to
admire and revere the heroic virtues of this truly Apostolic
soul, and in her own brief intercourse with her during the
Council at St. Michael's, these sentiments had deepened into
a life-long veneration. On her side, Mother Duchesne recog-
nized in the youthful Aloysia, the rare gifts which fitted
her to accomplish great things for the Society. It was she
who suggested to Mother Galitzin the wisdom of placing
Mother Hardey at the head of the New York foundation,
and later pointed her out as the one best qualified for the
office of Provincial of the American Houses.

Writing of this matter to the Mother General, she says :
" If I were consulted on the subject, Madame Hardey would
be my choice. Both in the Society and the outside world
she would be more favorably received than any other."
Magnanimous in soul and strong in character, {he elder
religious and the younger seemed destined to supplement
each other in extending the Society of the Sacred Heart in
America. The former began the enterprise amid great trib-
ulations, the latter carried it on to a successful consumma-
tion. We quote the following passage from the French
biography of Mother Hardey : " If we regard Mother Du-
chesne as the foundation stone of the Institute in America,
we may look upon Mother Hardey as the strong column
which supported the arch ; or if we compare the Society
to a tree bearing abundant fruit for the glory of God,
Mother Duschesne was the hidden root, whence the tree
drew its sap, and Mother Hardey the vigorous trunk which

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

spreading its branches covered the American soil with its
beneficent shade."

Initiatory steps have been taken formally for the
beatification of Mother Duchesne. An ecclesiastical com-
mission has inquired into the matter of her virtues, holding
its sessions at Carondelet, Mo., and the result of its investi-
gations has been forwarded to Rome for further scrutiny.
Thousands of American Catholics cherish the hope that it
may one day be allowed them to publicly invoke the inter-
cession of Mother Duchesne in prayer, and to pay her
likewise the homage of their reverent devotion.

156

CHAPTER XV.

NEW YORK DAY SCHOOL — VISIT OF MONSEIGNEUR BEDINI,
PAPAL NUNCIO — EDIFYING DEATHS — 1852-1853.

Before the close of 1852 Mother Hardey had the consola-
tion of beginning a work that she had long desired to
establish in New York, the foundation of a free school,
where her daughters might devote themselves to the in-
struction of poor children. Divine Providence opened the
way by means of the Jesuit Fathers of Saint Francis Xa-
vier's Church, who solicited the services of the Religious of
the Sacred Heart in starting a school for the girls of the
parish. The Bleecker Street community removed to a house
at 64 West I4th Street, where they continued their select
school, and, while awaiting the erection of their new con-
vent, by special dispensation, they were permitted to leave
their enclosure in order to teach their classes in the base-
ment of Saint Francis Xavier's Church.

Mother Hardey purchased six lots east of Sixth Avenue,
running through from i/th to i8th Streets. The founda-
tions were only begun, when a host of difficulties arose
to thwart her plans. Several land owners in the vicinity
protested against the erection of a convent in their neighbor-
hood, and left no effort untried to defeat the project. More-
over, the bank failed in which she had deposited the funds
necessary for the first payments. She then turned to the
source whence aid had often come, but a letter from Mother
Barat, dated January 31, 1853, destroyed her hopes. " Your
letter, dear Mother and daughter, has caused me much
anxiety. I am grieved to learn of the state of your finances,
and deep is my solicitude in regard to your present embar-
rassment. But what is to be done, since we are unable to as-
sist you? " After dwelling upon the obstacles which she her-
self was struggling with, Mother Barat adds : " Your own ex-

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

perience, as well as mine, testifies that difficulties arise from
all quarters as soon as we begin a work which has the salva-
tion of souls for its object. I am not surprised that you and I
have to struggle against the dark purposes of our arch
enemy. Oh, how consoling to know that he is none other
than the enemy of Jesus Christ ! "

When all seemed hopeless around her Mother Hardey
turned with fuller confidence to Him whose help never
fails. Again " the clemency of God became the servant of
a trusting heart." " It was marvelous," writes one of her
daughters, " how the money for each payment came. On
one occasion a member of the community received from her
family the exact amount required. At another time a note
of $6000 was due. The three days of grace had already ex-
pired when the morning mail brought a remittance. But
two thousand dollars were yet wanting. Full of confidence
in help from on high, Rev. Mother said, " This is Saint
Joseph's day. He will not fail us." The reward of her
faith was not delayed. At noon the Superior of the Hali-
fax Convent arrived w/ith $2500 in payment of a debt due to
Manhattanville. St. Bernard tells us " that the saints suc-
ceed in everything they undertake, because of their strong
faith, and the signal graces it obtains. Each step taken in
trust is a step towards the blessings promised by the Lord."
Mother Hardey experienced striking evidences of providen-
tial intervention during the construction of the I7th Street
Convent, but only God could know the many hours of
anguish through which she passed before it reached com-
pletion. The exterior of the building was rather imposing
in those days. The Gothic fagade of brown stone sur-
mounted by a cross, the carving of the seal of the Society,
the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary encircled by lilies,
over the entrance, gave it the aspect of a church, for which
it has frequently been mistaken. Considering the new
edifice an ornament to their street, a deputation of Protes-
tant neighbors, who had so vehemently objected to the

158

NEW YORK DAY SCHOOL

erection of the convent, waited upon Mother Hardey to
congratulate her and express their satisfaction.

The house became a focus, whence radiated the bless-
ings of the Heart of Jesus over a thousand souls
Nearly two hundred pupils were gathered in the Academy,
and over six hundred in the parochial school. Night classes
were organized for working girls, and also Sunday classes
in which Catechism was taught to more than two hundred
children attending the public schools. Several pious con-
gregations were established for working people, notably
the " Consolers of Mary," for young girls, and that of
" Christian Mothers," under the patronage of Saint Ann,
for married women. While rejoicing in the good which was
being effected, Mother Hardey turned in deep thanksgiving
to God for having rewarded her labors with success. Grati-
tude with her was never a sterile sentiment. It always
found expression in some way calculated to glorify the
Creator, and minister to the welfare of His creatures. Thus
her tribute of thankfulness for this special mark of the
Divine protection was conferred upon three young girls who
desired to embrace the religious state, and whom she se-
lected from the highest class in the parochial school to
finish their education at Manhattanville. She followed with
motherly interest their progress in their studies and pro-
vided for all their needs both at school and in the novice-
ship with that delicacy of sentiment which was always a
marked feature of her charity. " Be careful," she once said
to a superior, "that no one knows who are the free pupils
in your school, or who are those that are received at a lower
pension. It is hard enough for the children to feel their
dependence without being subjected to the humiliation of
others knowing it." Meeting one of her proteges in a.
shabby looking uniform she called the Sister charged with
the wardrobe and rebuked her sharply for her neglect.
Once, when a bazaar was being held in the school she sent
for the Mistress who had charge of the little girls and gave

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

her ten dollars in small change, saying, " Distribute this
money among those who have none. I have been saving it for
them to have the pleasure of spending it." Her heart seemed
to expand and her energy to increase with each new claim
upon her time or attention. Thus on one occasion she wrote
to a superior, " I have been replacing the Mistress of the
Third Class for several weeks, and, so far, I have managed
to be at my post every day. It seems to me you could take
a class in the school and give a few music lessons also. It
is such a pleasure to be employed with the children." At
Manhattanville it was her custom to visit the children dur-
ing the hour of penmanship. She examined not only the
writing, but the posture, deportment and neatness of each
child. Nothing escaped her vigilant eye, and her few words
of reprimand or of commendation were always remembered
and treasured. One who had left the class room in an ugly
mood, returned with a beaming countenance. " What has
happened?" whispered her companion. "I met Rev.
Mother," was the answer. "What did she say to you?"
" She only smiled, but that smile meant everything to me ! "
The years 1852 and 1853 were marked by trials which
deeply affected her. Several of her daughters who were
especially fitted to assist in the government of her wide-
spread vicariate died in the midst of their duties. Con-
spicuous among them was Madame Donnelly, one of the
early pupils of Houston Street. She was richly endowed by
nature and grace, and Mother Hardey had followed the de-
velopment of her beautiful character as pupil, novice and
professed, and had given her the care of the novices during
Mother Trincano's absence in Detroit. She was a living
Rule. Mortification and obedience were her characteristic
virtues. The Divine Will which she so ardently loved was
the only rule of her desires. During her long illness not a
complaint ever escaped her lips. Her only wish was to
obey. The privations of holy poverty were precious to
her soul. She did not possess even a pious picture ; her

1 60

1 Former Convent, Seventeenth St., N. Y.

2 The New Manhattanvllle

3 Convent, Madison Ave., N. Y.

NEW YORK DAY SCHOOL

only riches were her Rule book, her crucifix and beads, and
the notes of her retreats. A few days before her death
Mother Hardey asked if she had made the sacrifice of all
that was dear to her. " Yes, Rev. Mother," she answered,
" except that of having you near me when I am dying."
" What," exclaimed Mother Hardey, " would you refuse Our
Lord so small a satisfaction. Give all to Him, who gave
all for love of you ! " That same evening the dying religious
said : " Mother, I have offered Our Lord the last desire of
my heart, but He does not wish the sacrifice, and I am very
happy." As the evening Angelus bell rang out on the iQth
of November, Madame Donnelly began the prayer, and
while the words " Ecce ancilla Domini " were upon her lips
her beautiful soul went forth to contemplate forever the
unveiled beauty of the Word Made Flesh. In announcing
this death to Mother Peacock, Mother Hardey pays a touch-
ing tribute to the memory of her deeply lamented spiritual
daughter : " The Halifax novices have promised to give you
details of this remarkable and holy death. It has left with
each of us the persuasion, I may almost say, the conviction,
that the Heart of Jesus, after having been Mother Don-
nelly's All on earth, has become her everlasting reward in
bliss. I ask but one favor for myself and all those who
are near and dear to me, that our lives may have a similar
end. When we consider that final moment, what are either
trials or consolations, sufferings or pleasures? Unfortu-
nately, we live as if we had been created only for time.
Is it not so, dear Mother? We are troubled and easily
fretted by things which are not to last. Let us gather up
all the little crosses that bestrew our path, and bear them
patiently, in view of the one thing necessary." When in-
formed of the death of Madame Donnelly, Mother Barat
suggested that Mother Trincano be recalled from Detroit
to resume direction of the noviceship. Referring to the qual-
ifications necessary for a Mistress of Novices, she says :
" In general, my daughter, a solid religious education is

ii 161

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

very difficult to impart and perfect. It is necessary to
possess the spirit of prayer, constant zeal, a patience proof
against any trial, invariable meekness, and, when requisite,
a just firmness. This union of virtues is very rare, yet it
should be possessed by all those who are called to train
others. Ah ! how much I need your prayers, my daughter,
that I, and all those in authority may not be found wanting
in this respect."

Mother Trincano was admirably qualified for the duties
of her charge, and her return to Manhattanville was a great
help to Mother Hardey, even in the direction of the school,
as later the post of Mistress General was left vacant by the
departure of Mother Boudreau for France, where she re-
mained six months.

We read in one of Father Faber's works that though
" it is not easy to be a saint, yet saints are the easiest mas-
ters we can have, because they are more like Jesus than
other men." This was realized in Mother Hardey. From a
letter written to Mother Peacock in January, 1853, we
learn with what gentleness and firmness she desired to
influence souls:

" DEAR MOTHER :

" Your letter of November 3Oth, though of ancient date,
was more than welcome, so many weeks had passed since
I had heard from the frozen regions. ... I am happy to
know that Louise is doing well. I am certain that with
proper formation she can be made very useful. She has
eccentricities of character, it is true, but she has piety and
talent and she can be encouraged to generosity in the dis-
charge of duty and in the acquisition of virtue. But for
that very reason you must never lose sight of her. Point
out all the faults you observe in her conduct, and in propor-
tion as she advances in the spiritual life give her oppor-
tunities of practicing exterior mortification and humility.
While thus helping her to become a true religious you will

162

NEW YORK DAY SCHOOL

be performing- one of the most responsible duties of our
terrible charge — that of forming souls upon the model
placed before us, the Adorable Heart of Jesus."

Referring to a postulant whose vocation seemed doubt-
ful, she continues: "I still feel reluctant to receive B., for
I fear she will never make a good religious, though she
may be of great service.

" Everything goes on peacefully and quietly at Man-
hattanville. It would be difficult to find a more united and
devoted family. Pray that His blessing may always con-
tinue.

" Love to all and thanks to those who so kindly thought
of me at the joyous season. I did not forget them, nor you,
dear Mother, when I placed my petitions in the Heart of
Jesus for 1853.

" Your four novices are in perfect health, and they con-
tinue to give entire satisfaction. Madame Phelan has some-
thing very saintly about her, and she is noted among the
novices for that spirit of perfect obedience, which she
learned from our good little Mother Donnelly.

" Good-night, dear Mother ; pray as often as your charity
will prompt you for

" Yours ever devotedly in C. J. M.,

"A. HARDEY, R.S.C.J."

The year 1853 was made memorable by an effort of the
Sovereign Pontiff, Pius IX, to establish diplomatic rela-
tions between the United States and the Court of Rome.
His Grace, Monseigneur Bedini, Papal Nuncio to Brazil,
was deputed to fulfil a complimentary mission to the gov-
ernment at Washington, at the same time that he was
charged to report to Rome his observations upon the
Church in America. The calumnies circulated against him
by infidel refugees from Italy, and the conspiracies that
grew out of them, fill a dark page in our national annals.
Monseigneur Bedini failed in his diplomatic errand, but he

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

fearlessly traveled through a number of dioceses, visiting
everywhere the educational establishments and institutions
of charity. On his arrival in New York, his Grace an-
nounced his intention of visiting Manhattanville. " Wish-
ing to show my esteem and appreciation of the Religious of
the Sacred Heart, I have decided to celebrate the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass in your chapel. I am fully persuaded
that my petitions will be all the more acceptable to Our
Divine Lord, when united to those of the ' Wise Virgins '
whose mystical lamps are always in readiness for the visit
of the Heavenly Bridegroom." Accompanied by Arch-
bishop Hughes and several ecclesiastics the Nuncio was re-
ceived at Manhattanville with all the honor due to the En-
voy of the Holy See, and after Mass his Grace addressed
the pupils a few words on the excellence of Christian edu-
cation. The most prominent feature of the reception given
by the pupils was an Italian dialogue in which the struggles
and the triumphs of the reigning pontiff were rehearsed.
This was followed by a grand cantata sung by fifty voices,
composed as a tribute to Pius IX at the time of his elevation
to the Papal throne. The Nuncio was deeply moved by
these expressions of loyalty to the Vicar of Christ, and at
the close of the entertainment he addressed his audience in
tones that betrayed his heartfelt emotion: "Thanks, a thou-
sand thanks, my dear young friends, for the great pleasure
you have afforded me. The beautiful address in my native
tongue made me almost forget that I am in a foreign land.
Ah ! how I long to make known to the Holy Father what
I have witnessed in this favored spot where all hearts are
truly devoted to him and to our Mother Church ! I trust
you, my children, will respond to the designs of God and
profit by the Christian education you are receiving in this
renowned seat of learning and piety, this home of the Sacred
Heart. When I return to my dear Italy I shall be able to
tell the Romans that they cannot surpass you in loyalty
and devotedness to the Holy See. If any of you should

164

NEW YORK DAY SCHOOL

ever come to Rome I hope your Rev. Mother will notify
me that I may have the pleasure of receiving you and pre-
senting you to the Holy Father." The Archbishop con-
cluded his remarks with several graceful allusions to the
bouquet offered him, comparing the various flowers to the
virtues that should distinguish a child of the Sacred Heart.
Finally, the happiness of this visit for the pupils was
crowned by the proclamation of three holidays to be given
at Mother Hardey's option in honor of Pius IX, Monseig-
neur Bedini, and Archbishop Hughes.

A few days later the Nuncio again visited Manhattan-
ville. " How sweetly," he said, " does the Heart of Jesus
shed its benign influence upon all who dwell in this favored
spot. If ever a papal nuncio is appointed for America, the
nunciature should be established at Manhattanville." " And
Monseigneur Bedini should be the nuncio," some one ven-
tured to add. " No, no," he replied, " for in that case the
nuncio would be dismissed. It is good, however, to be
humiliated." This remark had reference to the plots formed
against him soon after his arrival in the States.

On the eve of his departure for Europe his Grace re-
quested Mother Hardey to meet him at the i/th Street
Convent, as he did not dare venture out to Manhattanville.
He arrived in disguise, pale, worn and greatly altered in
appearance. He expressed again his thanks for the kind-
ness shown him by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, and
asked for a copy of the beautiful verses with which the
pupils had welcomed him to Manhattanville. Mother
Hardey presented him with an album containing an illumi-
nated copy. He was deeply touched by this last proof of
her kindness. " I know," he said, " that placed as you are
in the centre of the Heart of Jesus you have no desire to live
in that of any creature ; yet all unworthy and miserable as
I am, I venture to assure you that you shall always occupy
a very high place in my profound respect and esteem."
After a momentary pause he continued : " It is right, for so

165

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

the world goes. My arrival was greeted with Hosannas,
my departure must ring with the ' Crucifige ! ' Yet, I am
happy to resemble, even faintly, my Divine Lord and His
Vicar on earth." After referring to the efficacy of persecu-
tion and the happiness of being the object of the world's
hatred, he arose, saying, " I must leave as quietly as pos-
sible, lest the messenger from the Father of Christendom
should disturb the public peace."

At one of his visits to Manhattanville, Monseigneur Be-
dini gave the papal benediction in the infirmary to two
young religious who were nearing the end of their earthly
career. Presenting to them his pectoral cross, he said:
" My dear sisters, I give you this cross to kiss, not only for
your own sakes, for it contains many precious relics, but
that I may sometimes recall that it was touched by the
burning lips of the Spouses of the Heart of Jesus when they
were about to be united to the Bridegroom of their souls."
These dying religious, whose serene aspect in the face of
death so greatly impressed the Nuncio, were Madames Eliza
Hogan and Fitzpatrick, two of Mother Hardey's most prom-
ising subjects. At an early age both were pupils at Hous-
ton Street, classmates, and later companions in the noviti-
ate. They made their first vows together and were em-
ployed in the school of Manhattanville, where they kept up
a holy rivalry in self-sacrifice and fidelity to duty. At about
the same time, their failing health gave tokens of an early
death, and as a sea voyage was prescribed for both, they
had the pleasure of going to France and of receiving to-
gether the blessing of their venerated Mother General.
They had fallen into rapid consumption and they returned
home to die. After making a spiritual retreat, as a prepa-
ration for death, Madame Hogan was permanently confined
to her bed. Her desire now turned heavenward, her con-
versations were all of Jesus. When asked if it fatigued her
to talk, she would reply : " It never tires me to speak of our
Lord, but other subjects weary me. Speak to me of the love

166

NEW YORK DAY SCHOOL

of the Divine Heart, and of nothing but love." When
Mother Hardey announced that she would have the privi-
lege of making her profession, the dying nun was radiant
with happiness. Christmas Day was chosen for the cere-
mony, and Rev. Father Mignard, S.J., who officiated, spoke
in touching terms of her share in the Passion of our Lord
while she was nailed to a bed of suffering, and of her ap-
proaching share in His glory, when she would join the rank
of the choir of virgins who follow the spotless Lamb. Mean-
while Madame Fitzpatrick saw, with holy envy, that her
beloved friend and sister was to precede her to heaven. But
the 2Qth of December brought a crisis in her sickness, and
it was deemed prudent to have her anointed. As she was
being carried from the room which she had occupied with
Madame Hogan to another apartment, the two invalids
spoke their adieux in loving raptures, as their separation
was soon to be followed by a meeting in the embrace of Him
they loved. After receiving the Last Sacraments and pro-
nouncing the vows of profession, Madame Fitzpatrick ex-
claimed in transports of joy : " I am strong with the strength
of the cross ! Oh ! help me to thank my Jesus ! " She said to
a Sister who asked her to obtain a special favor for her:
" Pray, pray, Sister, and you will obtain all you wish.
Prayer is the key that unlocks to us the treasures hidden
in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I have obtained everything
by prayer; yes, everything, even the great grace just re-
ceived. Our Lord only asks that we persevere in prayer."
To her novice sisters she recommended great generosity in
the service of God. " Give Him all from the very begin-
ning," she said, " and one day you will realize how sweet
it is to have refused nothing to Him who loves you." The
spirit of self-sacrifice was strong in the supreme hour. She
sent Mother Trincano to the novices' recreation and begged
that Mother Hardey should not be disturbed, as she was in
retreat. This good Mother, however, hastened to the bed-
side of her dying daughter, who joined in the prayers of the
agonizing until her spirit went forth with boundless confi-

167

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

dence in the mercy of the Sacred Heart she had loved and
served so faithfully. When Madame Hogan was told that
her sister had passed away, she said : " It is but just that
she should enter heaven before me, she was so pure a soul.
Alas! I have sinned, and I deserve to suffer longer, but I
hope she will obtain for me the grace to follow soon."
Three days later her summons came and she died pressing
to her heart her profession cross, her rosary and her scapu-
lar, as if her last thought had been, " In these three I place
my trust ! "

Only a few weeks had elapsed when Mother Hardey
was called upon to prepare another daughter for the final
journey. Madame Spink, formerly superior of a religious
community in Kentucky, had lately entered the noviceship,
where she edified her sisters by her humble demeanor and
eager desire to be considered as the last and least in the
house. After pronouncing her vows on her death bed, she
was heard to say, in sentiments of deep thanksgiving:
" This is the happiest day of my life. I can now die a Re-
ligious of the Sacred Heart ! " Deaths such as these were a
sweet consolation to the heart of Mother Hardey, who re-
joiced in the joy of her privileged daughters ; but she could
not fail to regret the loss of such subjects at a time when
" the harvest was great and the laborers few." She herself
was obliged to help fill the vacancies in the ranks of the
religious, as we learn from her letter to Mother Peacock:

" VERY DEAR MOTHER :

" Now that I have become Mistress of Class, I have very
little time for letter writing. I spend daily from three to
four hours in the school. This necessity accords perfectly
with my inclinations. It is far easier to teach than to com-
mand. Do you not find it so, dear Mother? But, of course,
in this, as in all else, the holy will of God be done. Your
kind friend, Mr. Kenny, gave me a very favorable account
of your house, and appeared disappointed that I could not
accompany him on his return to your fair isle. I gave him

1 68

NEW YORK DAY SCHOOL

several messages for you, some of which he will, perhaps,
remember. If I should ever have an opportunity of render-
ing a service to any one of his family, I should be only too
happy to prove my gratitude for his kindness to you and
your community.

" No news yet of Madame Boudreau's return. The state
of her health will decide whether she will accompany Mother
Jouve or remain longer in France. It will be a disappoint-
ment to us if she should not come next month. Your Hali-
fax novices are doing well, in general. None are very bril-
liant subjects, but they are good religious. That is their
first requisite, for what are talents without virtue? In the
parcel sent by Madame Phelan you will find the long ex-
pected, revised and corrected ' Ceremonial,' with the re-
quired approbation of the Holy See. Submit it to his Grace
for inspection; he will, of course, permit you to follow it.
I would advise you to study the new ceremonies and to put
them into practice immediately. It requires a careful ex-
amination to discover the several changes made."

Mother Hardey attached the greatest importance to the
least details of religious observances. She exacted the faith-
ful accomplishment of the prescribed rubrics at Office ; she
was always present in choir, and any negligence was sure
to attract her attention. We find in one of her letters to
Mother Barat an humble request to be dispensed from re-
citing Office aloud, as her throat was not in good condi-
tion, and she humbly begs pardon for having taken the dis-
pensation before receiving the desired permission. It is
not surprising that the humble dependence of this obedient
soul drew down the blessings of God upon her labors for
His glory and the welfare of souls.

169

CHAPTER XVI.

FOUNDATION IN CHILE — TROUBLES IN DETROIT —
1853-1854.

While Mother du Rousier was making the visit of the
convents in Louisiana, she received a letter from the Mother
General informing her of the request of the Archbishop of
Santiago for a foundation of the Sacred Heart in Chile.
Thus a new continent was opened to the Society, and
Madame Barat decided that the first missionaries should
go from the United States. It rested with the Mother
Visitatrix to select the leader of this important enterprise,
and she at once looked to Mother Hardey as the one most
competent to undertake a mission so hazardous and yet so
promising in results for the good of souls. But such was
not the Divine Will. Mother Hardey was to continue to
extend the empire of the Heart of Jesus north of the equa-
tor, while Mother du Rousier, who had seen the destruction
of the houses in Italy in which she had labored during the
first half of her life, was to receive the unusual privilege
and glory of a second career, even more fruitful and im-
portant than the first, in the untilled fields of South America.
This good Mother told the Manhattanville community, that
while praying for the guidance of Divine Light in her
choice, an interior voice seemed to whisper, " I have ap-
pointed you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and
that your fruit should remain." What signified this utter-
ance in the secrecy of her heart, save that the Divine Spouse
called her to follow Him to the distant shores of Chile?
Such was Mother du Rousier's interpretation, even before
the voice of obedience authorized her determination. A
letter from Mother Barat was received while she was in
Buffalo, towards the end of July, telling her that a young
Chilian priest had promised to take charge of the little

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FOUNDATION IN CHILE

band of missionaries and that she should leave with him
from New York. Mother du Rousier at once prepared to
start on her perilous journey. She was accompanied by
Madame Mary McNally, a gifted young religious who had
shared for twenty years the labors of Mother du Rousier,
her varied accomplishments and knowledge of foreign lan-
guages enabling her to render eminent services to the South
American Mission. Sister Antoinette, who had come to
America with Mother du Rousier, was the third of the little
colony that embarked on the Georgia August 5th, 1853.

Mother Hardey confided them to Don Joachim Lar-
rain, who had been commissioned to treat with Mother
Barat about the proposed foundation. After a voyage of
eight days they landed at Kingston, Jamaica, where they
had the happiness of hearing Mass and receiving Holy Com-
munion. For two days more the Georgia sailed through
the gorgeous scenes of the Antilles, and then entered the
port of Aspinwall. The passengers landed and began their
dangerous journey across the isthmus. We quote the fol-
lowing account of a thrilling episode from the journal of
Madame McNally : " As we wound along the brink of a
precipice, a cry was heard which sent a shudder through
every heart. Our good Mother du Rousier was nowhere
to be seen. Her mule lay upon the border of the precipice
and the guide, leaning over the abyss, shouted, ' The
Senora has fallen ! ' God alone knows our agony at that
moment, but His loving Providence watched over us.
Mother du Rousier's mule had stumbled and thrown her
over the brink of a declivity which was one hundred feet
in depth. Happily she fell upon the trunk of a tree and
had the presence of mind to clasp her arms around it, and
there she hung over the yawning gulf below. A negro who
was let down by means of ropes rescued her just as her
strength was giving way. How heartfelt were our thanks-
givings for her preservation. In their joy the Spaniards
cried, 'How God must love her!' Indeed, none could fail

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

to see in this marvelous escape the merciful protection of
the Heart of Jesus."

The adventures encountered then crossing the isthmus
seem almost incredible now. Madame McNally's journal is
filled with details of exciting incidents which marked the
route, until they finally reached Santiago on the I4th of
September, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
There they were most cordially received by the Arch-
bishop, who gave them hospitality in a Convent of Poor
Clares. The Government offered to confide the chief nor-
mal school of the city to them, and undertook to repair the
Convent of St. Isidore and adapt it to the purposes of an
academy. Five months elapsed, however, before they were
in possession of their new home. In writing to Mother
Hardey of this delay, Mother du Rousier says: "Things
are not accomplished here by steam, as they are in the
States. It is impossible to hasten the preparations for our
opening. Pray that Our Lord may bless the labors for
which He called us to this southern land, where it is easy
to do good on account of the faith of the people. Forty
pupils have been already promised, and, to judge from ap-
pearances, a great field lies open to the zeal of all who may
be chosen to cultivate this vineyard of the Lord. Madame
McNally has given you the details of our journey. Happily,
our religious will not be exposed to such dangers in future,
for before others come from North America the railroad
will probably extend across the isthmus and thus render
traveling there as easy as elsewhere." Mother McNally
told Mother Hardey in her letter of a promise made by
Mother du Rousier when she found herself in such imminent
danger, namely, that if rescued she would have a chapel
built in honor of Saint Joseph as a token of gratitude for
his protection. At once Mother Hardey offered to fulfill
the promise, and she erected, at a cost of $500, the modest
little shrine near the convent in Manhattanville known as
Saint Joseph's Chapel. While more stately monuments of

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FOUNDATION IN CHILE

her zeal and generosity have suffered destruction, this lowly
edifice has stood for more than half a century a silent wit-
ness to her piety and gratitude. During the fire which de-
stroyed the Manhattanville Convent in 1888, though ex-
posed on all sides to the devouring flames, it was not even
blackened by the smoke, or singed by the falling sparks, yet
the fences beyond were charred by the burning heat.

Some months later Mother du Rousier wrote again, that
a colony had arrived from France to aid them in their labors,
and in conclusion she says: " The Divine Master has blessed
this new foundation beyond our brightest hopes. Besides
the government scholars, we have now seventy boarders in
the academy, making in all over one hundred boarders, and
for this ' little world/ none of whom are over twelve years
of age, there are only five Mistresses. Mother du Lac
would like to steal Madame Tommasini from you, but I
tell her she must give up the desire, as this good Sister is
usefully employed where she is. If, however, you could
spare us a few missionaries how grateful we should be."
Mother Hardey generously responded to this appeal, and
for many years she recruited from the ranks of her daugh-
ters zealous souls ready and willing to devote themselves to
the interests of their beloved Society under the Southern
Cross.

Before the close of 1853 she had the sorrow of hearing
that grievances, both spiritual and temporal, threatened the
existence of the convent in Detroit. After the death of Mr.
and Mrs. Beaubien the religious had moved their academy
to a more favorable location, thereby arousing the animosity
of the Beaubien heirs, who maintained that the change of
residence was illegal. Bishop Lefevre had also taken of-
fense because day scholars were not admitted among the
boarders in the new school, and because some points of
discipline had been introduced contrary to his wishes. He
evinced his displeasure by withdrawing from the com-
munity the services of a chaplain, and depriving them of

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

all spiritual help. For three months the religious were
obliged to leave their enclosure to attend Mass in the parish
church, and they were subjected to what was, for them, the
most bitter of all trials, the privation of the Blessed Sacra-
ment in their chapel. Such a state of affairs necessitated
Mother Hardey's presence in Detroit. Her arrival was a
source of consolation to her daughters. So tranquil was
her demeanor that it infused courage and confidence into all
hearts. " The solution of these difficulties," writes one of
the religious, " detained our Mother with us for several
weeks. She told us that Our Lord had permitted these trials
in order to make us depend on Him alone. When obstacles
are thrown in our way by those to whom we look for help,
let us turn to Him for support and counsel." She frequently
repeated, "If God be for you, who can be against you?"
It was a delicate matter to settle, as Mother du Rousier had
given the decisions which offended the Bishop. Mother
Barat came to the rescue by writing to the Bishop. The
letter is so touching that we transcribe it in full for the
edification of our readers:

" MONSEIGNEUR :

" The news I have lately received from Detroit is of a
nature calculated to cause me deep sorrow. I learn that you
have deemed it your duty to withdraw from the Community
of the Sacred Heart the only consolation which religious
can enjoy in their life of labor and self-sacrifice, namely, the
presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and the spiritual suc-
cor they should find at home. No other reason has
been assigned for this punishment than the wish expressed
by your Lordship that we should open another house in
the same city for the purpose of receiving day scholars. A
previous letter must have failed to reach me, for I learned
at one and the same time this desire of your Lordship and
the cruel trial to which our Sisters have been subjected. I
cannot believe that they would neglect to explain to your

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FOUNDATION IN CHILE

Lordship the motives which necessitated their change of
residence, or act without your approval.

" Our constitutions, which have been approved by the
Holy See, and which must have been presented for your
inspection, do not permit us to leave our enclosure either
for Church services or works of zeal. Have our Mothers
failed in their duty to your Lordship, by any want of that
respect and submission which our holy rules prescribe to-
wards ecclesiastical authority, and have they thus merited
to be the first examples of their present painful position
which the Society has yet witnessed? I ask myself with
anxiety all these questions, and I know not what to con-
jecture. If your Lordship will deign to inform me of the
cause of your displeasure, I shall earnestly seek to remedy
it. In the meantime, I venture to appeal to your charity in
behalf of my daughters. If they have failed in their duty
to your Lordship, I unite with them in imploring pardon.
. . . I beg you to consider that it is not in my power
to permit them to infringe their rules of enclosure, so that
if you will not restore to them the spiritual help which is
ordinarily granted, they will be placed under the necessity
of giving up their mission in your diocese, for I do not see
how we could maintain two houses, both money and sub-
jects being equally wanting. Believe me, Monseigneur, it
would be a pleasure for me to second your zeal, and, within
the limits of the rule, we shall do all we can to carry out
your wishes. . . . Your Lordship knows well that these
rules have been wisely ordained, and that they are the safe-
guards of the religious spirit. I am convinced that you
would not wish us to set them aside and thereby open the
door to abuses, which would be doubly deplorable in a
Protestant country. Permit me, then, to renew the ex-
pression of my sincere regret for anything that may have
wounded your Lordship's feelings, together with my pro-
found grief for the present state of one of the families which
the Heart of Jesus has confided to my care, notwithstanding

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

my unworthiness, and deign to be favorable to my prayer
in restoring to it your fatherly protection. In the hope
of obtaining this favor, which I humbly solicit, permit me
in advance to assure your Lordship of my sincere gratitude
and to sign myself with profound veneration,

" Your humble and obedient servant,

" M. L. S. BARAT, R.S.C.J."

This letter, breathing at once the solicitude of a mother,
the vigor of a foundress and the humility of a saint, made a
most favorable impression upon Bishop Lefevre, while
Mother Hardey's readiness to yield as far as possible to his
wishes so completely disarmed him that he promptly re-
stored to the community the spiritual blessings of which
they had been deprived. He sanctioned Mother Hardey's
proposition to erect an academy in a favorable location
where all the works of the Society might be carried on with-
out detriment to any, and he himself started negotiations for
the purchase of a property opposite the pro-cathedral and
adjoining the Beaubien homestead.

Mother Hardey's relations with the Beaubien heirs pre-
sented greater difficulties. They disputed the right of the
religious to sell property bequeathed to the Society, and
engaged the best lawyers in the city to plead their claim.
Here again Mother Hardey's knowledge of business and
sound judgment overruled all obstacles. Every concession
which she claimed was declared to be just. The Beaubiens'
legal adviser declared that he " would rather contend with
ten lawyers than with one Madame Hardey." On one oc-
casion he inquired of his friend General Scammon, " Are
you acquainted with Madame Hardey?" "Yes," was the
reply. " Have you the same honor? " " I am sufficiently ac-
quainted," he answered, " to know that she has missed her
vocation. If Madame Hardey were a partner in my firm I
should be a rich man, for she is the cleverest woman I have
ever met." After relating this incident, General Scammon

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FOUNDATION IN CHILE

mentioned another circumstance which shows the estimate
placed upon Mother Hardey's business capacity by the
ablest lawyers in the country. " When Mother Hardey had
decided to purchase the present property on Jefferson
Avenue," said the General, " she requested me, as I was
going to New York, to take the deeds to the famous Charles
O'Conor for examination. When I presented them Mr.
O'Conor asked, 'Has Madame Hardey seen them?'
'Yes/ I replied. 'And has she examined them?' 'Yes/
' Then you may roll them up and take them back to her,
for if she has examined them it is needless for me to do so/
I realized then what an 'extraordinarily gifted woman
Madame Hardey must be, since two of the most noted law-
yers of the day had given such testimony of her ability."

Before leaving Detroit Mother Hardey had the consola-
tion of knowing that she had secured for her daughters not
only their lost privileges, but the good will of all those who
had recently been hostile to them. There was a general re-
awakening of interest in their success, on the part of both
laity and clergy. Bishop Lefevre seemed most anxious to
make amends, by lavishing favors upon the community.
He took an active interest in the erection of the new con-
vent, and one day sent to the religious superintending the
work a handsome gas fixture and a marble mantel piece,
with the request that they should be placed in the room
destined for Madame Hardey when she visited Detroit.
The religious assured his Lordship that Mother Hardey
would refuse to occupy an apartment so ornamented, but
with his approval she would have them placed in one of the
parlors, which they would name " Mother Hardey's parlor."
The erection of the Detroit convent added greatly to the
financial difficulties already weighing on Mother Hardey,
and of which she speaks in a letter written to the Superior
of Halifax shortly after her return to Manhattanville :
" Madame Kearney has just handed me a letter addressed
to you, which I cannot seal without adding a line of apology

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

for my past neglect. I feel that you have good reason for
complaint, and though I could give satisfactory excuses for
my long silence, I will only say, ' Mea Culpa/ and promise
to sin no more. I was truly thankful for the cheque, which
could not have come at a more appropriate time. I was in
need of $10,000, and I assure you that were it not for the
necessity of aiding the other houses I would not have called
upon you. The communities of Detroit and Buffalo re-
quire money, for both are building. The latter cannot de-
lay, for they are occupying the Bishop's house, which must
be vacated in the fall, when the grand Buffalo cathedral
will be consecrated. You see, dear Mother, I have much to
contend against. Poor nature often murmurs, but it has to
submit and try to bear the cross graciously, if not lovingly.
. . . Mother Thompson is doing admirably in the city.
What would please you most there is the parish school,
which numbers upwards of six hundred children. They do
credit to their teachers by their progress and good conduct.

" Mesdames Jones and Tommasini are in retreat. They
are to make their profession on Ascension Day. It will be
a grand ceremony. The Archbishop will, of course, officiate,
as Madame Jones is one of his dearest children.

" I presume you have heard of the promise which Bishop
Connolly has received of a foundation in Saint John. I can-
not tell you how happy this news has made me, for only a
short time before his request was refused. But when God
wills anything, who can oppose His designs? . . . Ex-
cuse this nocturnal scratch. I fear you will not be able to
make it out. The clock has struck eleven. Pray for me, dear
Mother, I do not forget you even when I do not write."

It would be difficult to form an estimate of Mother Har-
dey's correspondence, as comparatively few of her letters
have been preserved. This dearth is owing to her oft re-
peated orders that her letters should be destroyed. Writing
at one time to a young superior to whom she had sent
almost daily communications, she said : " I am told that

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FOUNDATION IN CHILE

you are carefully preserving my letters. This is the last
you will receive until I hear that you have burned all those
now in your possession." The time devoted to correspond-
ence was of necessity taken from her hours of repose, and
withdrawing to her room after night prayers, she seated
herself at her desk, to guide, strengthen, console or, per-
haps, chide her absent daughters. She wrote the following
lines to a young religious who was having her first experi-
ence in the classroom : " Do not let your exterior occupa-
tions interfere with your habitual union of heart with your
Divine Spouse, else you will become a simple school mis-
tress and not a true Religious of the Sacred Heart. I am
longing for the vacation, when I hope to have you with me
for a few weeks at least, and I hope your good superior will
be able to give me satisfactory accounts of your progress.
I promise to give you a few moments every day while you
are here, provided you are in earnest with your perfection.
As to your little difficulties with your Sisters, never let them
weaken that sweet union of mind and hearts which is our
distinctive characteristic. We are all prone to fall into the
same defects that they commit. They bear with our faults,
why should we not bear with theirs? You are right in be-
lieving that distance does not change my feelings towards
you. It only makes me uneasy that my dear child should
forget what Our Lord expects in return for all that He has
done for her."

The following reminiscences have been given us by an
old Sister, who for many years slept in Mother Hardey's
room and had ample opportunities of observing her closely :
" Our Reverend Mother rose at half-past four in the morn-
ing to preside at our meditation. Her days were always
full, and it was often late when she came to her room at
night. She often wrote letters until after midnight. Before
retiring she used to go to an adjoining room to take the
discipline. I was afraid to move lest she should know that
I heard her. The very sight of her instruments of penance,

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

which I sometimes came across, made me shudder. I could
not bear to call her so early in the morning, and once when
I found her sleeping very soundly I had not the courage to
waken her. After breakfast she inquired why I had not
called her at the right time. On hearing my explanation,
she said : ' Very well, I shall put another Sister in your
place, who will be more obedient ! ' When I promised to be
faithful in future, she forgave me. One night I took her a
cup of hot milk, saying, ' Mother you are very tired, please
take this.' ' Sister,' she answered, ' you are tired also, sit
down and drink it yourself,' and to my great confusion she
made me obey. She then warned me that I must leave her
as well as myself to the care of the infirmarian, and if ever
I brought her a drink of my own accord she would make
me take it myself, so I never dared to do it again."

One might be tempted to ask whether those days and
nights of constant toil were not wasting to the spiritual life,
or at least detrimental to the union of her soul with God.
" From some points of view," says Father Faber, " an
active saint is a more complicated work of grace than a
contemplative one. In nothing is the worth of real spiritu-
ality more tried than in the performance of outward works.
In Mother Hardey's case, we have to believe that in pro-
portion to the demands of her ever increasing responsibili-
ties she gave herself up more fully to the claims of the in-
terior life. In the following letter from her holy director,
Father Barelle, S.J., we are permitted to see behind the veil
which concealed the sanctity of her soul, how she was ad-
vancing in the way of perfection, even in the midst of the
most arduous occupations:

"AVIGNON, April 17, 1854.

" Praise be to God, my dear daughter ! I am delighted
with Him and with you! With Him for giving you such
sensible signs of His love, more abundant now than in the
past, when He concealed His tenderness for your soul. To-
day He reveals His mercy and makes you feel it in a more

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FOUNDATION IN CHILE

sensible manner. ... I am likewise pleased with you,
on account of the many victories you have gained over your-
self, aided by the increase of grace which your amiable
Spouse has given you. What must you do now? One thing
only, follow the path upon which you have entered. Let
yourself be led interiorly by the spirit of our Lord, in con-
formity with the rules of your Institute and the virtues
which it demands, and exteriorly by those same rules and
the Minister of Our Lord to whom obedience has confided
the direction of your soul. Courage, my child, you must
continue to walk bravely and generously in the path of
humiliation and self-abandonment in imitation of Him who
espoused humility in His Incarnation, was faithful to it dur-
ing life, and died within its arms. ... I am pleased
with your state of indifference and the abandonment which
it supposes to all the designs of God in your regard. It re-
quires more energy than you give yourself credit for, to live
always in this state. Your letter makes me very happy, for
it reveals your whole soul to me. Your contempt of your-
self will render you more meek and gentle with others, more
willing to bear with their defects, and more devoted in your
service to souls, even when they are most ungrateful and
undeserving. Remember that Jesus should be our all. Not
Jesus only, but our spouse Jesus crucified, surrounded by
all kinds of tribulations and contradictions. He underwent
all this for us. How can we refuse to take our share for
His sake? Let your heart, then, be united to His. Consider
it a great honor and consolation to resemble Him in any
way. Love contradictions, but, above all, love the chan-
nels through which they come to you. Then every circum-
stance will be profitable, war as well as peace, pain as well
as pleasure, failure as well as success.

" May Our Divine Lord grant you this grace ! I will ask
it for you and all your daughters, to whom I wish so great
a knowledge and love of Jesus Christ that they may love
Him with a passionate love, and make Him known, loved
and imitated by the souls confided to their care."

CHAPTER XVII.

FOUNDATIONS: ST. JOHN, N. B. — ROCHESTER — LONDON —
SAULT-AU-RECOLLET — HAVANA — 1854-1858.

When the cholera invaded New Brunswick in 1854
Bishop Connolly of St. John fearlessly exposed his life in
caring for the plague stricken. He took that occasion of
dedicating his diocese to the Sacred Heart, and when the
sickness ceased he made a touching appeal to Mother Har-
dey in behalf of his flock. While vicar general of the See
of Halifax he had devoted himself to the welfare of the con-
vent at Brookside, and it was partly in the name of his past
services that he now claimed a house of the Religious of
the Sacred Heart for his diocese. In writing on the sub-
ject to Mother Barat, he says:

" Although it is not becoming to boast of services ren-
dered, you will judge of my motive in mentioning that for
three years I consecrated more than half of my time in look-
ing after the Religious of the Sacred Heart in Halifax. I
was chaplain, confessor, architect and business agent of the
Ladies. It has pleased God to change the scene of my
labors to the Bishopric of St. John. From the moment of
my nomination I resolved, with the help of God, to secure
for my diocese a community of the Religious of the Sacred
Heart. On arriving here I was strengthened in my resolu-
tion by finding that at least eighty Catholic children of the
most respectable families were attending Protestant schools.
I succeeded in persuading the wealthiest parents to send
their daughters to the Halifax school, promising them that
within two years I would have a Catholic academy here.
For this purpose I applied to Madame Hardey, and she
graciously transmitted to me your answer, that in 1855 my
desires should be realized. In the meantime it has pleased
Our Lord to afflict us with cholera; in the space of six

ST. JOHN, N. B., ROCHESTER, LONDON

weeks more than six hundred families were attacked by it,
leaving seventy orphans on my hands."

The great-hearted prelate went on to say that it was this
urgent necessity which led him to apply to Mother Hardey
for immediate assistance, and that he did so in the convic-
tion that neither she nor Mother Barat would refuse his
request. The cry of the orphans touched at once the hearts
of Mother Barat and Mother Hardey, and hastened the
preparations for the new foundation. When Mother Trin-
cano and her little colony arrived in September, 1854, they
were cordially welcomed by the vicar general, who con-
gratulated them on being the first nuns to set foot on the
soil of New Brunswick. A small house had been prepared
as a temporary residence, and they took charge at once of
the orphans. Some months later these dear children were
confided to the care of the Sisters of Charity, whom Bishop
Connolly introduced into the diocese. The Religious of the
Sacred Heart then opened an academy for boarders and day
scholars. In the spring of 1855 Mother Hardey went to
visit her daughters in their new home, and the cheerfulness
with which she found them accepting privations and labors
led her to speak of this house as a veritable Nazareth.
Though her stay was brief, it abounded in consolations for
the little family.

We read in the annals : " Nothing could be more de-
lightful than to listen to our dear Mother's spiritual con-
ferences, especially the parting one in which she urged us to
find our strength and joy in imitating the life of Jesus in
the Sacrament of His love." Mother Hardey always took
a special interest in the prosperity of this house, and when,
in later years, local difficulties and the limited resources of
the community seemed to warrant its suppression, she
strongly advocated its preservation. The convent was at
last closed and in 1897 the religious bade farewell to a mis-
sion in which they had lovingly labored for forty-two years,
feeling that they had been more than amply repaid for their

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

hardships and sacrifices by the solid good that had been
effected, especially among the poor.

As early as 1852 Mother Barat had expressed to Bishop
Timon her fears that Buffalo would not prove a fruitful
field of labor for her Congregation. Her letter drew from
the saintly prelate the following reply : " All are aston-
ished at the rapid growth of Buffalo and the progress of
religion in my diocese. If I am not mistaken, there are few
of your American houses which will procure greater glory
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus than this establishment is
destined to accomplish, if you will only have patience to
wait until our people shall have recovered from the effects
of the terrible scourge which has diminished our popula-
tion."

After referring to the death of Mother Cruice and the
words of sympathy and gratitude addressed to him by
Mother Barat, his Lordship adds : " I was greatly touched
by all that you have written. I have always admired and
loved your holy Institute. Indeed, I could not help taking a
lively interest in the religious here. I beheld in Mother
Cruice a soul wholly given to God. During their affliction
I did all in my power for their relief, but I did no more than
God had a right to expect of me, and I trust He may give
me the grace to act in the same manner if other misfortunes
should visit them. I believe, however, that the time of trial
is past."

This touching letter appealed strongly to the heart of
Mother Barat, who shrank from the prospect of grieving the
good bishop. Hence, in reference to the subject, she wrote
to Mother Hardey : " I neither counsel nor command any-
thing in this matter. I have learned how difficult it is to
give a judicious decision when one knows neither the place
nor the circumstances. Do what you think is for the best,
after consulting those whom the Good Master has given to
assist you. I suffer extremely in realizing that I have only
simple compassion to offer you, for I know what a feeble

184

1 Detroit Convent

2 Rochester, N. Y.

3 Grosse Pointe, Mich.

ST. JOHN, N. B., ROCHESTER, LONDON

solace it is. But Jesus is our refuge. He will never fail us
if we place our trust in Him and strive to serve Him with
love and fidelity."

Mother Hardey submitted her views to Bishop Timon
with the utmost delicacy, asking his permission to transfer
the community from Buffalo to Rochester. He consented,
and while deploring the departure of the religious from his
episcopal city, he wrote to Mother Barat that he found a
certain compensation in the fact that her daughters had not
been withdrawn from his diocese. Rochester was erected
into a separate see in 1868, with the Right Rev. Bernard
J. McQuaid as its first bishop. The removal to Rochester
took place on June 26, 1855. This change proved to have
been a wise one, for the academy soon became very flourish-
ing, and after a few years a free school was opened for the
children of the neighborhood. The blessing of God rested
visibly on this house in the extraordinary number of re-
ligious vocations it gave to the Society year after year.

In the summer of 1856 we find Mother Hardey in
Canada, her presence being necessary to settle the affairs
of the convent at Saint Vincent, Isle Jesus. For several
years the patrons of the academy had maintained that the
necessity of crossing the river during the winter season was
a serious obstacle to the success of the Institute, and, in
view of this difficulty, many had withdrawn their daugh-
ters and for the same reason others were deterred from
patronizing the school. Ever ready to consider the repre-
sentations laid before her, Mother Hardey, after due reflec-
tion, determined to remove the academy to the immediate
vicinity of Montreal. After a long and laborious search she
found a desirable location near the village of Sault-au-
Recollet, which owes its name to the martyrdom of Father
Viel, a devoted Recollect, who was slain by the Hurons
while on his way to Quebec. The place selected as the site
of the new convent was on the banks of a branch of the
Ottawa, and at the time of Mother Hardey's visit was more

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

or less of a wilderness. It has since been transformed, and
the surroundings are very beautiful and picturesque. A
stately Gothic church now stands beside the river, a smiling
village clusters round the house of prayer, while upon an
eminence within sight rises the novitiate of the Jesuits.
Towards the west may be seen the Gothic turrets and
handsome dome of the Convent of the Sacred Heart.
Mother Hardey was present at the laying of the corner
stone, August 17, 1856. That the event excited universal
interest is shown by the following extracts from a Montreal
newspaper of the day:

" Our citizens displayed the greatest zeal in their efforts
to make the ceremony imposing. Along the route from the
church of Sault-au-Recollet to the site of the new convent
banners waved and garlands of green and arches of flowers
made a beautiful scene. Towards noon an immense throng
assembled on the spot to receive Monseigneur Bourget, who
had recently returned from Europe. Many strangers were
present, among them the elite of the surrounding country,
and a large number of our separated brethren, who are
always attracted by the pomp and solemnity of our re-
ligious ceremonies. Suddenly the bells rang out, the can-
non boomed, music was heard, and a squad of cavalry gaily
caparisoned announced the coming of his Lordship. On
arriving Monseigneur blessed the assembled multitude with
paternal pride. Very Rev. Mr. Granet, Vicar General and
Superior of St. Sulpice, pronounced an eloquent discourse, in
which he depicted in glowing terms the advantage of pos-
sessing a house of education under the direction of the
Ladies of the Sacred Heart. The words of his text, ' This
is the House of God and Gate of Heaven/ were developed
in accents of the deepest piety, and the orator concluded by
expressing the hope that from generation to generation
bands of virgins would succeed one another in this favored
sanctuary about to be raised to the glory of that Heart,
whose blessed title they bear.

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ST. JOHN, N. B., ROCHESTER, LONDON

" After the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, which
was sung by the pupils of the Sacred Heart, the procession
moved towards the spot where the corner-stone was to be
blessed. The strains of martial music, the floating banners,
the brilliant uniforms of the military and the lines of bishops
and priests wearing the insignia of their offices, all com-
bined to make the scene both solemn and memorable."

Such were the favorable auspices that marked the foun-
dation of " the Sault." In 1858 the building was completed
and the pupils transferred to the new home. St. Vincent's
ceased to exist, but before leaving it Mother Hardey ani-
mated her daughters to a deep sense of gratitude in a touch-
ing conference in which she rehearsed the blessings that had
rested upon the home they were about to abandon, and the
bright promises which the future seemed to hold for them
in the new abode. By the appointment of Mother Trincano
as Superior of " the Sault," Mother Hardey was deprived
of the valuable assistance of one who for ten years had
proved so efficient in organizing foundations, training the
novices and governing the most important house of the
vicariate. But when there was need of a sacrifice Mother
Hardey never considered her personal loss or inconvenience,
though in the present instance she acknowledged that in
giving up Mother Trincano she was losing her right arm.

At the solicitation of Monseigneur de Charbonnel in the
year 1852, Mother Hardey established a house in Sandwich,
then included in the Diocese of Toronto. In 1856 the diocese
of Mgr. de Charbonnel was divided into three, Toronto,
Hamilton, and London, with Mgr. Pinsonnault as incum-
bent of the last named see. For a time this convent shel-
tered the orphans from Detroit, by the request of their
benefactress, Mrs. Beaubien, but later the heirs to the
estate raised objections to this measure and the children
were sent back to their first home. As the place offered
but limited resources for the support of 'a first-class acad-
emy, Monseigneur Pinsonnault begged for the transfer of

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

the community to London, his episcopal city. As the bishop
in taking possession had promised his people to introduce
the Religious of the Sacred Heart into the diocese, he wrote
as follows to Mother Barat : " I have pledged my word to
my people. Would you oblige me to break it, and thereby
draw upon myself the disagreeable consequences that would
surely follow? "

Again it became Mother Hardey's duty to decide the
important question of breaking up an existing establish-
ment, in order to make a venture in a new field. For sev-
eral reasons her position was difficult, yet she recognized
the impossibility of supporting the house in Sandwich and
the obligation of placing her daughters in a sphere where
they might be better able to succeed. She decided, there-
fore, to abandon Sandwich, and open an academy in Lon-
don. An estate called Mount Hope was secured as a tem-
porary residence, and on August 18, 1859, the little com-
munity started for their new home. Mourning and weeping
followed their departure, for the good people among whom
they had labored for seven years had become sincerely at-
tached to them, yet they generously gave every assistance
in their power, even transporting to London all the furni-
ture belonging to the nuns.

The following lines from one who was a pupil at Sand-
wich will show how much Mother Hardey was loved and
revered by the children : " I remember especially one of her
visits, when the pupils received her with a joyful greeting,
in which our sentiments were expressed in poetry and song.
When our little entertainment was over, she graciously in-
quired the names of all present, addressing to each in turn
words of kindness and encouragement. I was then eleven
years of age, very homesick and unhappy because of the
separation from my parents. I remained at school only to
keep my promise to my Catholic mother that I would not
ask my father, who was a Protestant, to take me home.
Mother Hardey's sympathetic heart divined the cause of

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ST. JOHN, N. B., ROCHESTER, LONDON

my sadness. That same evening she sent for me, and be-
gan at once to speak to me gently, but with such earnest-
ness that I can never forget her words. She told me it was
my duty to acquire a Catholic education, that later I might
be able to assist my mother in the training of her younger
children. Her kind advice appealed so strongly to my spirit
of faith that I became reconciled for a time to my school
life. After some months, however, my longing for home
returned and I left the convent. When the academy was
opened in London, Mother Hardey's words came back to
me so forcibly that her appeal to my sense of duty left me
no peace, and I asked and obtained permission to enter the
school. No one could have been happier than I was during
the remainder of my schooldays. When I next saw the
dear Mother I had heard the call to a higher life, and she
strengthened and encouraged me to be faithful to grace.
Her every word was full of light and consolation. When,
some years later, I arrived at Manhattanville, she welcomed
me with that warmth of affection which made me feel that
I was the special object of her solicitude. How often since
that happy day have I received proofs of the goodness of
her heart, which, like the heart of Our dear Lord, was
boundless in its charity."

While Mother Hardey was occupied in promoting the
welfare of the houses of her Vicariate, the Manhattanville
Novitiate was increasing in numbers even beyond her most
ardent hopes. Within the space of a few months nineteen
postulants had entered, three of whom had come from
Cuba, where a house of the Sacred Heart was about to be
opened under the most favorable auspices. Senora Espino,
a lady of remarkable faith and piety, had earnestly prayed
for years for the conversion of her husband, a man distin-
guished for high moral excellence, but estranged from the
practice of his religious duties. The faithful and devoted
wife determined to win from Heaven a favorable answer to
her prayers, by dedicating a portion of her wealth to a work

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

to promote the glory of God and the welfare of souls.
She submitted to her husband her plan of establishing a
house of education for the young girls of their native city,
and received his most cordial sanction. About this time
Mother Hardey received another offer from a Miss Hen-
riquetta Purroy, the principal of a select school in Havana,
to transfer her pupils to the Religious of the Sacred Heart
and to become herself a member of the Society.

When Mother Hardey laid these advantageous offers
before Mother Barat the latter hesitated to accept them.
" I am told," she wrote, " that foreigners are especially
liable to take the yellow fever, which annually visits the
island, and that, consequently, we must be ready to lose
many of our subjects. What a prospect ! I do not shrink
from it, for God is all-powerful, and though I dread the
consequences, I cannot refuse the opportunity of procuring
His glory. The fact that He has sent you, in so extraor-
dinary a way, those twenty subjects, should excite our con-
fidence and our abandonment to the Divine Heart." Writ-
ing again on the subject to Mother Hardey, inspired by the
twofold sentiment of apprehension for her daughters, and of
zeal for the glory of God, the Mother General concluded
by giving the signal for departure in these simple words:
" It is with a trembling heart that I say to you, ' Go, my
dearest Aloysia ! ' "

Mother Hardey, who had eagerly awaited the consent
of her superior, prepared at once for the voyage, and em-
barked at New York for Cuba on December 27, 1857, ac-
companied by Mesdames Tommasini and Fowler. Before
leaving they assisted at Mass in the chapel of the Seven-
teenth Street Convent, and, after Holy Communion, the cel-
ebrant, Rev. Father Gresselin, S. J., unexpectedly delivered
a brief exhortation, taking for his text the passage from the
Acts of the Apostles : And they fell upon Paul's neck weep-
ing for the word which he had said to them, that " they
should see his face no more." These words seemed to fore-

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ST. JOHN, N. B., ROCHESTER, LONDON

bode a great sorrow, and his audience was deeply affected.
Surprised by the emotion he witnessed, the preacher sought
to turn the thoughts of his hearers into a new channel, but
it was in vain. There remained in all hearts a vague fear
and tears, and sobs filled the parting hour. Mother Hardey
maintained her wonted tranquillity and unshaken trust in
Him for whose glory she was prepared to give even life
itself.

The voyage was uneventful. On the third of January,
1858, the vessel entered the harbor of Havana, and Mr. and
Mrs. Espino came on board to welcome Mother Hardey,
whom they looked upon as an angel bearing the blessings
of the Heart of Jesus to the young generation of their
native city. A government vessel, manned by sailors in bril-
liant uniforms, conveyed the travellers to the shore, and
they were conducted by their benefactors to their new
home, where everything had been prepared for their re-
ception. Mother Hardey began to make at once arrange-
ments for the opening of the school, as Miss Purroy was
already prepared to transfer her pupils to the new-comers.
She hastened also to fulfil the requirements which business
and etiquette demanded by calling on the Captain General
of the Island. Her visit to this functionary was attended
with the most satisfactory results. But, as usual, trials were
awaiting her.

On the fifth of February, while walking in the garden
with Madame Tommasini, she was suddenly attacked with
violent pains in her back and other alarming symptoms of
serious sickness declared themselves. The consternation
was general ; a physician was hastily summoned, and he
pronounced her illness a case of yellow fever. The patient
received the news with perfect tranquillity and an entire
resignation of herself and her mission into the hands of
God. The end seemed to have come, for the remedies
applied were of no avail. Her strength was rapidly failing,
and a fatal termination of the disease was apprehended,

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

when a young girl named Rafaela Donosa, called at the
convent to solicit admission as a lay sister. Having learned
with deep regret of Mother Hardey's dangerous illness, she
believed, in the simplicity of her guileless nature, that it
was possible to obtain her cure. Hastening to the Jesuit
church, she prayed long and lovingly for the recovery of
the Mother upon whom her entrance into the Society de-
pended, and entering into a compact, as it were, with Our
Lord, she offered to spend three extra days in purgatory
after her death, if Mother Hardey were restored to health
and she was admitted as a postulant. Was it the prayer of
faith from that innocent soul which wrought the miracle?

While Rafaela was pleading before the tabernacle, Miss
Purroy heard of Mother Hardey's illness, and hastened to
offer her services as nurse. She suggested that almond oil
should be tried as a last resource, but Mother Hardey ob-
jected that the doctor had not prescribed it, and she was
bound by rule to obey his orders. Miss Purroy appealed
to the Superior of the Jesuits, who was then in the house,
asking him to put Mother Hardey under obedience to take
the proposed remedy, as her case was a matter of life or
death. The priest went immediately to the bedside of the
invalid, spoke to her briefly of her dangerous condition and
urging the use of the remedy proposed. Mother Hardey
calmly replied, " Reverend Father, the doctor has not or-
dered it." Prepared for this objection, he answered: "I
know your Rule enjoins upon you obedience to the pre-
scriptions of your physicians, but I ask you in obedience to
your confessor to take the oil, and allow Miss Purroy to do
for you whatever her judgment and experience may sug-
gest." Looking upon her confessor as the representative
of God, Mother Hardey at once consented. The priest
blessed the medicine, and the effect was marvelous, after
several doses had been taken. In a few days the crisis was
passed, and the patient pronounced out of danger.

The admirable equanimity with which she had resigned

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ST. JOHN, N. B., ROCHESTER, LONDON

herself to die, marked also her acceptance of returning
health. This perfect self-possession hastened her recovery,
and after the lapse of a few weeks she was again actively
employed in preparing for the arrival of the little colony
which she had summoned from Manhattanville. The acad-
emy was opened with forty-five boarders on the Feast of
Saint Joseph, the patron of the Captain General, who had
expressed a desire to be present on the occasion, and Mr.
and Mrs. Espino offered to do the honors of the reception.
About eleven o'clock the pupils arrived, accompanied by
their parents, and a large number of the most distinguished
citizens of Havana. Then, when all had assembled, the
sound of military music announced the advent of the Cap-
tain General. Having testified his great pleasure in being
permitted to attend the ceremonies, he listened with deep
interest to a discourse on Christian education delivered by
the most eloquent preacher in the city, and before leaving
he renewed his offer of service to Mother Hardey, with the
assurance that he would consider it a pleasure to protect
the interests of the Academy of the Sacred Heart.

As soon as the pupils of Miss Purroy's school had been
received and the classes organized, Mother Hardey felt that
her mission in Havana was accomplished, and confiding the
charge of the house to Madame Justina Casanova Lay, who
had taken her first vows at Manhattanville only a few weeks
previous, prepared to depart.

A brief account of Madame Casanova Lay may be of
interest to our readers. God had seemed to predestine her in
a special manner for His service in the Society. From her
earliest childhood she was noted for the most amiable qual-
ities, but that which particularly distinguished her, was an
unbounded charity towards the poor and suffering members
of Jesus Christ, a virtue which was an inheritance from her
parents, whose house was a place of refuge for the afflicted
of every class. At the age of twenty-two Justina married,
but hardly had she begun to enjoy domestic bliss when a

13 193

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

threefold sorrow fell upon her, in the death of her husband,
father and mother. From that time she devoted herself ex-
clusively to prayer and works of charity. She determined to
enter a convent, but eleven years were to elapse before the
fulfilment of her holy purpose, for it seemed that she had
yet to accomplish a great mission of charity in behalf of
others.

In 1852, when the cholera swept over her native city,
Santiago de Cuba, she spared neither her strength nor her
fortune in ministering to the victims of the scourge. She
entered the homes of the plague-stricken, prepared them
for the reception of the Last Sacraments, and when those
who succumbed to the epidemic were poor, she paid the
expenses of their burial. It is not surprising that Madame
Lay was revered by rich and poor alike as an angel of bene-
diction. After the cessation of the cholera she resolved to
go to Europe in order to execute her long cherished plan lo
become a religious, but Divine Providence guided her steps
to Manhattanville. She went to New York to visit her
brother, who resided there, and by him she was presented
to Reverend Mother Hardey, and, later, admitted by her
into the Novitiate.

It was soon evident that Madame Lay was well fitted
for positions of trust in the Society, and Mother Hardey
took special pains to initiate her into the true spirit of the
Sacred Heart, with the view of confiding to her the new
foundation to be made in Havana. Her expectations were
fully realized. Under Madame Lay's gentle government
and enlightened experience the new establishment prospered
beyond her most sanguine hopes. The first act of Madame
Lay's administration was a solemn promise made to our
Blessed Lady that on every Saturday for one year both
religious and pupils would unite in singing the " Mag-
nificat " in their little chapel, in thanksgiving for Mother
Hardey's recovery. With this affectionate farewell Mother

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ST. JOHN, N. B., ROCHESTER, LONDON

Hardey sailed from Havana on the thirtieth of March and
reached New York on Easter Sunday.

Wishing to spare her daughters any anxiety she had
given orders during her illness that the news should not be
communicated to the houses of her Vicariate, but while the
Manhattanville community was preparing to greet their
loved Mother with a joyous welcome, a letter was received
from the father of one of their Cuban pupils, the first words
of which were : " Thank God, Madame Hardey is out of
danger." Mother Boudreau read the startling news at the
noon recreation, and the consternation of all present can
be better imagined than described. The happiness of seeing
their beloved Mother again in their midst can be measured
only by the intense grief which the unexpected news of her
illness had caused. Her presence to her dear family seemed
like a resurrection, and it added a deeper note of thanksgiv-
ing to the Easter joys.

Mother Boudreau, the Mistress General of Manhattan-
ville, in token of gratitude for Mother Hardey's recovery,
fitted up a beautiful sanctuary in honor of our Blessed Lady,
long known as the Chapel of Mater Admirabilis. In it
she placed a painting of the famous fresco of the Madonna
in the convent of the Trinita in Rome. The Virgin of the
Temple appealed forcibly to the hearts of the children, as
with her spinning wheel, open book, and lily by her side,
she is held up as a model of a life of purity, prayer and labor.
This exquisite painting is still preserved at Manhattanville
as a precious relic of bygone days, days of Mother Hardey,
Mothers Boudreau, Jones and Tommasini, and their de-
voted pupils. During the destruction by fire of Manhattan-
ville Convent in 1888, it was rescued from the flames, and
it now adorns the Lady Chapel, the affectionate tribute of
the Alumnae of the Academy in memory of the Golden Ju-
bilee of 1894.

Mother Hardey herself had made a promise during her
illness that if restored to health she would undertake some

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

special work for the increase of devotion to the Sacred
Heart. In her profound humility she failed to see that her
whole life had been devoted to that object. Her first care
on her return home was to ask advice as to the best means
of fulfilling her promise. A Jesuit Father suggested the
translation of Gautrelet's " Month of the Sacred Heart."
The work was begun and soon after given to the press.
It was the first publication of the kind issued in the United
States. Mother Hardey was also the first promoter of the
Association of the Holy Childhood in New York, as we
learn from the following account from the pen of Reverend
Father Daniel of Montreal, Director General of the Asso-
ciation :

" At one of my visits to Manhattanville I availed my-
self of the opportunity to solicit the help of Mother Hardey
in establishing the work of the Holy Childhood in the
United States. She readily consented, and I returned home
proud and happy in the promise of her assistance, and lov-
ing the Society of the Sacred Heart more than ever. Some
weeks later, I received a letter from Rev. Francis Mc-
Neirny, Secretary of Archbishop Hughes, informing me
that his Grace preferred to wait two years before authoriz-
ing the foundation of my work, in order to establish more
firmly the Propagation of the Faith in his diocese. Frus-
trated in my plans, I turned again to Mother Hardey.
Touched by my letter she answered, ' Do not be troubled. I
shall arrange matters to your satisfaction.' Oh, what a
marvelous mind she had, and how rich in resources ! She
at once set Madame Catherine White the task of composing
thrilling drama, picturing the desolation and anguish of a
hinese mother, whose child was torn from her arms and
rown to the dogs. The most pathetic part in the drama
as given to the niece of Archbishop Hughes, and his
Grace was invited to witness the play. As had been antici-
pated the tender-hearted prelate was affected even to tears.
Availing herself of the most favorable moment, Miss An-

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ST. JOHN, N. B., ROCHESTER, LONDON

gela, still robed in her Chinese costume, knelt before her
uncle, and begged him to sanction the work of the Holy
Childhood. ' With all my heart/ the Archbishop answered,
' let Mother Hardey inaugurate it ! ' The cause was gained.
The Association was started in all the schools of the Sacred
Heart, and soon by request of the Archbishop himself the
work was begun in nearly all the churches of the New
York diocese."

It will perhaps be proper to close this chapter with a
brief sketch of Rafaela Donosa, the young candidate who
had made such a heroic sacrifice to obtain Mother Hardey's
speedy recovery from yellow fever. Having been re-
ceived as a lay sister in the community, she was remark-
able during her short religious life for her faithful observ-
ance of rule, and her ardent love for Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament. A few months before her death, as the Sisters
were telling at recreation on what days they would prefer
to die, Sister Rafaela declared she would choose the Feast
of the Assumption.

" But that would deprive us of the Exposition of the
Blessed Sacrament," remarked one of the Sisters. " Oh,
no ! " replied Sister Rafaela, as if assured of the fact, " I
will die only after the Blessed Sacrament has been exposed.
My corpse will be carried to the chapel after Benediction,
and I shall be buried next morning after Mass." Her pre-
diction was literally fulfilled. Some days before the Feast
of the Assumption she became dangerously ill. Her suffer-
ings were very great, and the fever so intense that those
who approached her bedside felt something of the extreme
heat which was devouring her frame. For three days she
lay motionless, her hands joined in an attitude of prayer,
her lips silent, save to hold occasional colloquies with Jesus
and His Blessed Mother. On the I5th of August, while the
chaplain was exposing the Blessed Sacrament after the
Mass, she surrendered her beautiful soul into the hands of
her Creator. After Benediction her body was borne to the

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

chapel, and the following morning, after the requiem Mass,
it was consigned to the tomb. She left behind her the pious
belief that the three days of agony preceding her death were
the three days of suffering which she had so generously
offered to undergo if Mother Hardey's life were spared.

198

CHAPTER XVIII.

MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS — LETTERS OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES
AND MOTHER BARAT — SOJOURN OF THE BISHOP OF
PUEBLA AT MANHATTANVILLE — FOUNDATION AT KEN-
WOOD— 1858-1860.

The years which immediately follow Mother Hardey's
restoration to health are so full of her active zeal in extend-
ing the reign of Christ, and so rich in good works, that we
are necessarily obliged to omit many events which would
be of interest and edification to our readers.

In the summer of 1858, she began the work of enlarging
the chapel of Manhattanville, a measure necessitated by the
rapid growth of the boarding school, which numbered over
two hundred pupils. Within that year she had the con-
solation of seeing twelve of the children received into the
Church, with the full consent of their parents. Among
these converts was Mary A., a young girl endowed with
more than ordinary gifts of mind, who had entered the
academy strongly prejudiced against the Catholic Faith.
Its tenets were repugnant to her intellect and many of its
practices and devotions offensive to her ideas of propriety.
After a year spent in the school she was still so bitterly
opposed to the Church that on Good Friday, while assisting
at the Way of the Cross she suddenly quitted the chapel,
condemning within herself the solemn devotion as a species
of idolatry.

For some time she wandered alone through the adjacent
parlors, left to her own bitter reflections, but, strange to say,
the hour of her greatest repugnance became the time of
God's visitation. The Faith, which a few moments before
had seemed so false and meaningless, now rose before her
in all the brightness of a divine revelation. A few months

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MARY ALOYS1A HARDEY

later she became a Catholic, and Mother Hardey had the
happiness of seeing her changed into a zealous apostle of
the true Church. Full of joy in the possession of her new-
found treasure, Mary sought to convert her much loved
friend, Ultima M., a young girl of her own age. She prayed
and obtained prayers of others, adopting various practices
of devotion and penance, all having for their object the con-
version of her friend. Her zeal was rewarded, for some
months later Ultima became a most ardent child of
the Church. Both young girls were the pride and honor of
the Manhattanville school, and their influence for good was
equally felt in their own home circles.

Mary A.'s father had been baptized a Catholic, but hav-
ing married a Protestant he abandoned the Church and
allowed his children to be reared in their mother's religion.
Mary had the consolation of seeing her father return to the
Faith of his childhood, and of bringing her mother and three
sisters into the Church. After fulfilling a mission of useful-
ness at home, she entered the Novitiate of Manhattanville,
whither she was followed a few years later by her younger
sister Blanche. Ultima M. married and settled in Cuba.
She became a model wife and mother. During the insurrec-
tion in 1868, Mr. S., her husband, was forced to give hos-
pitality to the officers of a Spanish regiment, which had
been quartered on his plantation. Through their unwel-
come guests it was learned that fourteen young men, be-
longing to the best families in Havana, were held prisoners
in the camp, and had been condemned to be executed. Mrs.
S. resolved to make an effort to save them. She invited the
officers to a sumptuous banquet, which was followed by a
musical entertainment. The commanding officer was so
entranced by her magnificent voice and superb execution
on the harp, that he swore in true cavalier style he was
ready to grant any favor his fair hostess might do him the
honor to ask. After a moment's pause, Mrs. S. called upon
her guests to witness the declaration, then, throwing her-

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MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

self on her knees before the officer, she begged him to
grant her the life and liberty of his prisoners.

Though startled by the request, the Spanish soldier was
too chivalrous to break his word. The prisoners were re-
leased, but before their departure, at the earnest solicitation
of their gracious deliverer, they made their peace with God
in the reception of the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy
Eucharist. A few years later this noble woman died a mar-
tyr to her charity. While nursing a sick slave she con-
tracted the disease of the sufferer, and, realizing that her
days were numbered, she exacted from her husband the
promise that her two daughters should be educated at Man-
hattanville. It was one of these young girls who was chosen
to read the touching panegyric of Mother Hardey at the
closing exercises of the scholastic year, June, 1886.

Another interesting conversion was that of Leila R., a
child only seven years of age, whose heart had been touched
by grace, and inspired with the desire of becoming a Catho-
lic. Every day the innocent child spent a part of her recrea-
tion in making visits to the altars of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
to implore the desired favor. The first time she asked her
mother's permission to be baptized it was positively re-
fused. Again and again she repeated her request, at each
succeeding visit, but without success. One day the mother
having been kept waiting a long time in the parlor for the
child, asked her the reason of the delay. Leila answered that
she had gone first to the altar of the Blessed Virgin to ask
her to touch her mother's heart. Profoundly moved by the
piety and perseverance of her little girl, Mrs. R. answered:
" Well, Leila, if it will make you happier, I am willing you
should be a Catholic." At these words Leila rushed out of
the parlor to the Mistress General, whom she brought by
the hand to her mother, saying: "Mamma, please tell
Mother Boudreau what you have just said, for she might
not believe me!" The happiness of the child was at its
height, but no sooner had she been regenerated in the waters

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

of Baptism than she turned all her efforts towards obtaining
the same favor for her mother. Her pleadings were directed
to the Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Once when she had passed a whole hour upon her knees
before the Tabernacle, being asked how she could find
enough to say for so long a time, the child answered with
charming simplicity : " I do not know how to say beautiful
prayers, but I just talk to Jesus. Perhaps I do not say just
what I should, but I tell Him over and over again not to
let mamma die without Baptism." The health of Mrs. R.
soon became impaired. During the Christmas holidays Leila
taught her all she knew of the little Catechism, and, in the
month of January, the sick woman, seeing death was not
far off, wrote a very touching letter to Mother Hardey,
begging her to come to visit her, since she was unable to go
to Manhattanville. In an affectionate reply, Mother Hardey
wrote that the Rule did not permit her to visit, but she
would send a friend, much better able to give her peace and
consolation.

She asked a Jesuit Father to call upon Mrs. R., and
he prepared her for her abjuration and reception into the
Church, and baptized her younger daughter for whom little
Leila was sponsor. Shortly after this touching ceremony
Mrs. R. breathed her last, in sentiments of peace and con-
fidence in the mercy of that God whom she had only known
and loved at the eleventh hour. This triple baptism was a
great joy to Mother Hardey, whose only desire was the con-
quest of souls. She never lost an opportunity of doing good,
and God seemed to take pleasure in multiplying the works
of zeal and charity so lovingly undertaken and so gloriously
crowned.

One day, while walking with the community at the re-
creation, she met a poor negress who had come to beg food
and clothing for her family. Mother Hardey questioned her
about her religion and occupation, and learning that neither
she nor her children had ever been baptized, she told the

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MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

woman to bring her children the next day. Finding that the
two youngest were very frail and sickly, she decided to have
them baptized as soon as possible. The pupils were in-
formed of the ceremony, and godmothers selected among
the Children of Mary, who, appreciating the privilege, at
once prepared suitable clothes for the occasion. At the ap-
pointed time three candidates for Baptism appeared, one, a
little boy of seven years, for whom they had to take an
acolyte's surplice to cover his rags. The father of this in-
teresting family remained in a corner of the chapel observ-
ing everything very attentively. His good wife, greatly
touched by the charity and gifts bestowed upon herself and
her little ones, after a bountiful repast declared her intention
of " getting religion " herself as soon as she could.

Before long she was sufficiently prepared to be baptized,
and even to receive Holy Communion and Confirmation
with the older children. Her two youngest died in their
baptismal innocence. Strong in her faith, the good mother,
notwithstanding the reproaches of her husband, refused to
have the children buried in a Protestant graveyard, though
the burial was offered her gratis. As soon as Mother Har-
dey was informed of the condition of affairs, she charged
herself with the expenses of the funeral, and continued to
bestow so much kindness on the family that she had the
happiness of seeing the husband baptized and the marriage
ceremony performed in the Manhattanville chapel.

By request of Archbishop Hughes, in 1858, Mother Har-
dey offered hospitality to Mgr. de la Bastida, Bishop of La
Puebla Mexico, the first victim of a violent persecution of
the Mexican hierarchy by the government of the country, for
refusing to endorse the sequestration of property belonging
to the Church. He had been seized by the soldiery and
forced to leave not only his palace and his diocese, but even
his country, without time to say farewell to his sisters who
lived in his palace, and to whom he had been a father and
protector. After three years of exile in Rome, he set out

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

for America, having learned that the clerical party in
Mexico had triumphed. He arrived too late, for ere he
reached New York the Liberals had been returned to power.
Unwilling to be at a great distance from his flock in case of
an opportunity to return to his diocese, the bishop grate-
fully accepted the offer of a home at Manhattanville, where
the stone house on the grounds was fitted up for his accom-
modation.

Mother Hardey refused to yield to others the super-
intendence of the preparations for his arrival. " I feel," she
said, " as if we were about to receive one of the twelve
Apostles." She always spoke of the bishop's sojourn as a
time of special blessings to her house. We find in her letter
written to Mother Barat on the eve of the bishop's de-
parture for Europe, the following lines : " The exiled bishop
from Mexico, who occupied the cottage on the grounds, will
probably be the bearer of this letter. He will give you news
of us, but he will not be likely to tell you that he has beer.
a channel of benedictions to your family of Manhattanville.
During the past twelve months he has given the veil to ten
choir postulants, and six others are to be received on the
Feast of St. Stanislaus. When he arrived here there were
no postulants in the Novitiate. The school has also been
the object of his special interest. Eight of our Protestant
children have received Baptism at his hands."

The bishop had fully appreciated Mother Hardey's kind-
ness. One of the religious gave him lessons in English, she
herself taught him French, and everyone endeavored to
make him forget the bitterness of exile. Twenty-four years
later, when the venerable prelate was restored to his
country and appointed Archbishop of Mexico, he in-
vited the Religious of the Sacred Heart to establish a con-
vent in his episcopal city. It was Mother Hardey's gracious
hospitality which thus opened the way to this new field of
labor, where the Institute so dear to her in life is at present
reaping a plentiful harvest of souls in four of the principal

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MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

cities of the republic. During the bishop's sojourn at Man-
hattanville an unfortunate incident occurred, which shows
how trials were wont to be mingled with Mother Hardey's
joys. The chaplain of the convent was afflicted with an in-
curable disease, which was gradually undermining his men-
tal faculties, though the fact was not then suspected.
Strange as it appeared at the time, he showed annoyance
whenever the ceremonies in the chapel were performed by
the bishop, and one Sunday afternoon as the prelate was
entering the sanctuary to give Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament, he hastily stepped forward and proceeded to
officiate, while the bishop withdrew to his priedieu, sur-
prised and mortified at the insult offered him. On leaving
the chapel the first person he met was President Comon-
fort of Mexico, whose two daughters were pupils at Man-
hattanville. The bishop naturally inferred that in deference
to this official Mother Hardey did not wish him to officiate
at the Benediction, as it was Comonfort who had banished
him from Mexico.

Unconscious of this interpretation of his Lordship,
Mother Hardey, who felt keenly the insult offered to the
bishop, went to the cottage to apologize as best she could
for the chaplain's conduct. To her consternation she was
told that the bishop refused to see her. No explanation was
given for several days, and by mere chance she learned that
the bishop's displeasure was directed against herself. For-
tunately, the explanation of his secretary, and new freaks
on the part of the chaplain, soon made the truth clear. It
is needless to add that his Lordship made touching repara-
tion to Mother Hardey for his unjust suspicions, which at-
tending circumstances seemed to justify.

Before leaving this subject, we shall mention an inci-
dent which illustrates Mother Hardey's delicacy of feeling.
Mgr. de la Bastida, realizing the heavy expenses entailed by
the erection of new buildings at Manhattanville, wished to
pay his board and that of his secretary, but Mother Hardey

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

refused to receive any remuneration. Finding, however,
that a package of gold coins, carefully sealed, was sent to
her every month, she ceased to allude to the subject, and
his Lordship believed he had succeeded in overcoming her
objections. When the bishop left for Europe Mother Har-
dey confided to his secretary a small box, saying it con-
tained a few articles for the use of his Lordship, and re-
questing that it should be opened only after the vessel had
sailed from port. The injunction was obeyed, and on their
arrival in London the box was opened. Underneath some
toilet articles were found the packages of gold coins, each
one bearing its seal yet unbroken. The bishop's letter of
thanks was the outpouring of a heart deeply touched by this
last proof of Mother Hardey's generosity, and in writing to
one of his friends in New York, he said : " I consider Mother
Hardey the Saint Teresa of this century."

The trials of the Holy Father in 1859 developed among
the pupils of Manhattanville a very tender attachment to
the Holy See. Prayers for the triumph of the Church and
the Vicar of Jesus Christ were publicly offered, and the
enthusiasm of the children knew no bounds when there
was question of helping the good cause with their alms or
their good works. One of the little girls wrote to Mgr. de la
Bastida, after he had left for Rome : " Poor Holy Father !
How he must suffer! Will your Lordship please tell him
that, if he has to leave Rome, he shall be joyfully welcomed
at Manhattanville. His little children of the Sacred Heart
are now offering ever so many acts of silence and self-denial,
that he may triumph over his enemies." It afforded the
bishop great pleasure to transmit this artless message to
Pius IX, and the tender heart of the Pontiff was so deeply
touched by the simple expression of childish loyalty that he
sent a special benediction across the seas to strengthen the
little flock in the love of the Church and its Chief Pastor.

In the month of June of that same year Archbishop
Hughes announced that a collection for the Holy Father

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MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

would be taken up in all the churches of the diocese, and
that he wished even the school children to contribute their
share. The request found a generous response at Manhattan-
ville. The sum of three thousand dollars was collected and
presented to the Archbishop in an artificial rose, at the clos-
ing exercises of the scholastic year. His Grace expressed his
deep appreciation of the gift of the " Golden Rose," promis-
ing to assure the Holy Father that there were none more
loyal and devoted to him than the children of the Sacred
Heart. The knowledge that the Holy Father was aware
of that loyalty was communicated to Mother Hardey in a
letter of one of her old pupils, written just at that time :
" MY DEAR MADAME :

" Had you been able to foresee the consolations I was to
enjoy in Rome, you would certainly not have tried to dis-
suade me from taking the journey. I can say for once that
I am glad I did not follow your counsels. I could not make
up my mind to tell you of the project which I had formed
in making this visit to Rome with my two dear children,
namely, that of having them receive their First Communion
from the hands of the Holy Father. I confided my secret
to no one save our Blessed Mother and good Saint Joseph.
Mary and Josephine are their children rather than mine, and
you shall hear how my hopes were realized. When I arrived
in Rome, I asked whether the Holy Father was likely to say
Mass in any of the churches where ladies might be per-
mitted to receive Holy Communion. I was told that in a
few days His Holiness would celebrate in the church of
Saint Agnes. I was presented to Cardinal Reisach, to whom
I made known my desire. He assured me there would be
no difficulty in regard to its execution, and promised to
arrange the matter for me. He took our names and told
me what was to be done to prepare the children for the
grand ceremony. 1 mentioned my fears in regard to
Josephine's age, which, as you know, is only eight years.
After examining her well, he relieved my anxiety on that

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

point. I then went to the Convent of the Sacred Heart,
where I had already been received with much goodness by
our dear Mothers. Madame de Fonsbelle offered to give my
children a little retreat, for I was uneasy lest they should
not be sufficiently prepared, and yet in my heart I felt that
they would never be purer or better disposed. Their desire
to be united to Our Lord was so ardent, I was, as it were,
carried away almost against my will. You would not have
blamed me if you had seen them.

" They were so impressed with the solemnity of the
act that their father was moved to tears. I myself prepared
them for their general confession, and let me tell you, dear
Mother, who love my children as I love them myself, the
great consolation of a Christian mother: that of believing
my daughters presented to Our Lord souls that had never
been tarnished by a grave sin. The eve of the great day
was so stormy that it was said the Holy Father could not
go to St. Agnes' church. Our prayers were redoubled and
fine weather was granted. When we arrived we found such
a crowd, besides the hundred students of the Propaganda,
that it seemed impossible for us to get near the altar. My
children were dressed in their First Communion robes,
which contrasted strikingly with the black dresses that
etiquette required every one else to wear. Just when we
thought it impossible to pierce through the crowd, Mon-
seigneur Bedini spied us. His Eminence sent a cameriera to
give us places close to the altar facing the Holy Father, the
children in the center, Mr. F. and myself on either side.
How can I describe to you, my dear Madame, the senti-
ments that filled my soul, when I saw Our dear Lord car-
ried by His Vicar upon earth, descending into the hearts
of my dear children, and then coming to my husband and to
me ! I no longer saw anything, nor was I conscious where
I was! After Mass the Holy Father assisted at a second
Mass, as did all present. When the Holy Sacrifice was
ended, his Holiness and the Cardinals withdrew. We also

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MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

prepared to leave, when Bishop Bacon, of Portland, came to
tell us that the Pope asked to see the children. I gave them
to His Lordship almost unwillingly. Taking a hand of
each, he told us that we also were invited.

" We were conducted to a room where the Holy Father
was seated at table. On seeing u& enter, he exclaimed, ' Ah !
here comes the Bishop of Portland with his two American
angels.' The sight of the venerable Pontiff made me melt
into tears. I could see nothing for some moments, but when
I was able to distinguish objects around me, what a sight
met my eyes ! My two children were seated on either side
of His Holiness, who waited upon them, making them eat
cake, fruit and bonbons. I am far from thinking my chil-
dren pretty, though a mother always finds beauty in her
offspring, but I assure you that at that moment they ap-
peared really lovely in their white dresses, so fresh and
simple. They looked like the protecting angels of Pius IX.
May they be so in reality and ward off from that blessed
head all the evils which these unhappy days threaten!
Those present were so impressed by the spectacle that they
asked for a photographer to reproduce the scene.

" My turn was to come. The Holy Father inquired,
' Where is la Madre? ' I threw myself on my knees before
him. He asked where I had been educated, as also my chil-
dren. The name of the Sacred Heart caused him to smile,
and then he spoke of the good done in your schools. He
placed his hands upon the heads of my children, repeating,
Oh ! the children and grandchildren of the Sacred Heart
are true children of the Church.' I profited of this mo-
ment to obtain the blessing of His Holiness on all who
are dearest to me in this world, our venerated Mother
General, all our Mothers of the Sacred Heart, and you
especially, dear Madame. Mr. F. also prostrated himself
at the feet of the Pope and received his share of encour-
agement and compliments. Oh ! what a beautiful day !
Can I ever forget it ! In the afternoon we had an audi-

14 209

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

ence with the Holy Father, who asked for the Americans.

" Bishop Bacon presented their gifts by the hands of my
two little angels, who stood on either side of his Lordship
while he read the address. When they presented the offer-
ings in the name of their countrymen, His Holiness replied
in the most touching manner, saying that his late crosses
had been mingled with so many consolations he could hard-
ly say which of the two had been most numerous. Ad-
dressing my dear children, His Holiness told them never to
forget this day, to preserve the whiteness of their souls
which had been washed in the blood of the Lamb, for, he
added, ' You are the sheep whom I have fed with Bread
from Heaven, and even with material bread.'

" I am sure you are astonished, dear Madame, by all
these graces granted to your poor Lizzie. I ask myself,
what have I done for God, that he should thus favor me?
I owe it all to the Sacred Heart, and to my good friend,
St. Joseph, whom I love so much. Yesterday we gave a re-
ception to Monseigneur Bedini and Cardinal Antonelli. The
former is kindness itself. He presented us with a magnifi-
cent rosary from the Holy Father, who has promised to
give us a private audience on Monday next. In the after-
noon I went with my children to the Sacred Heart. We
knelt before the painting of Mater Admirabilis to thank our
heavenly Mother for the graces of the day. There another
family feast awaited us. Madame de Fonsbelle and the
Mother Superior conducted us to the chapel, where every-
thing was prepared for the renewal of the Baptismal Vows
and the Consecration to the Blessed Virgin ; the little cere-
mony closed with a canticle and the Magnificat. Thus, you
see, dear Madame, it is the Sacred Heart which begins and
ends for us all joys and all feasts."

This interesting and consoling letter was so much appre-
ciated by Mother Hardey, that she forwarded it to Mother
Barat, who was equally pleased with its spirit of loyalty
and affection for the Society and the Holy See. She ordered

2IO

MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

copies to be sent to all the convents, that the pupils might
derive benefit from the example set before them of a model
Christian mother and true child of the Sacred Heart.

The year 1859 was marked by a consolation of another
kind. Through the instrumentality of the Very Rev. J. J.
Conroy, Vicar General of the Albany diocese, she obtained
possession of a magnificent estate, the property of Mr.
Joel Rathbone, overlooking the little village of Kenwood.
The situation commands an extended view of the Hudson
River, and of the hills and meadows lying along its banks
on one side, while on the other the eye beholds the blue
outline of the Heidelberg Mountains. On the estate itself
a long picturesque drive, between hills crowned with ma-
jestic trees, wound from the porter's lodge to the mansion,
while thickly wooded hills, the gardens, orchards, meadows,
fields and groves afforded that pleasing variety so desirable
for students within a convent enclosure. The dwelling,
which was pulled down later to make room for the grand
conventual buildings, was unique in style. Antique carv-
ings and stained glass windows lent to some of the apart-
ments an aspect which was almost monastic. These were
made to serve for chapel and parlors, while the bright
sunlit rooms were converted into study and recreation
halls. The religious were enraptured with the beauty of
their surroundings, which formed a striking contrast with
the modest little country house which they had been occu-
pying on the Troy Road. The pupils were enthusiastic in
their admiration of the house and grounds. Never were
children more devoted to their Alma Mater than the happy
band of Kenwood's first pupils, who made the woods and
groves resound with their songs of joy, and in the evening
twilight, from the beautiful terrace, the sweet strains of
the " Ave Sanctissima " floated over the hills and mead-
ows and down the beautiful river.

Mother Hardey was justly proud of this new conquest
of the Sacred Heart. She sent there those of her daughters

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

whose health required rest or change of air, and, from the
very beginning, she took special interest in the prosperity
of Kenwood, which later, was to owe its great development
to her. But her deepest solicitude was the advancement of
her daughters in the spiritual life, and notwithstanding her
multiplied labors, she found time to write letters of counsel
and encouragement to them, such as the following:

" MY DEAR CHILD:

" Mr. Patrick is in the parlor waiting for letters and
messages before leaving for Albany. I am very busy just
now, but I could not let him leave without a line for my
oldest, and, I wish I could say, my best daughter. But you
will try to become the best, will you not, during my ab-
sence, that God may bless me and my mission. First of
all, I beg you to be faithful to your exercises of piety. Our
holy Rule tells us that we should love meditation. Strive,
therefore, with all your energy to become an interior soul.
You have the necessary dispositions, and, believe me, your
present difficulties come from neglecting to develop them.
Promise me that you will go direct to Our Lord when you
want to speak to me. I have given Him all my messages
for you. If you have recourse to His Sacred Heart you
will overcome your sadness, for this feeling comes from your
ardent desire to be united to Him. No need of asking me
to pray for you. I never fail to do so. Your happiness is
as dear to me as my own."

And in another letter to the same religious she writes:
" Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.
Yes, even in this world, for Our Lord dwells in hearts that
are watching and praying. Our difficulties come from our
too great eagerness for the things of this world, and our
desire to see and hear all that is going on. Our divine
Spouse is jealous of our affections, and He cannot tolerate
in our hearts anything that does not belong to Him."

It was thus that Mother Hardey sought to form souls to

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MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

solid religious virtues without interfering with the action
of divine grace. To one who had caused her great sorrow
by a serious fault, for which she came to beg her pardon,
she simply answered : " I knew that you had not the light
to see your mistake," and not another word of reproach
passed her lips. So much calmness and peace in her ex-
terior deportment could only be the fruit of long and perse-
vering struggle in a character like hers. When necessary
she knew how to reprimand severely, but her voice was
never raised above its natural tone, her countenance never
altered, and never did an unmeasured word escape her lips.
As one of her daughters said, " She concealed a hand of
iron in a velvet glove, but her strength was so well tem-
pered with meekness that we never experienced the salu-
tary effects of the one without feeling the consolation of the
other."

In the beginning of the year 1859, a rumor was circu-
lated that Mother Hardey was to be removed from Manhat-
tanville. It probably originated from the fact that she had
offered herself to the Mother General in answer to an ap-
peal for subjects for the South American missions. Her
confidential friend, Mother Trincano, became alarmed lest
the offer might be accepted, and she communicated her ap-
prehensions to Archbishop Hughes. His Grace entered
fully into her sentiments, and, in order to avert such a loss
to his diocese, he addressed the following lines to Mother
Barat :

" REVEREND AND DEAR MOTHER BARAT :

" I heard yesterday, from Mother Trincano, and with
very deep regret, that Madame Hardey is likely to be re-
moved in the spring from Manhattanville. After eighteen
years, since the first community of the Sacred Heart was
established in my diocese, I can say, that I have never in-
terfered with its internal regulations, and have been entirely
content in knowing that the community has lived strictly

213

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

according to its rules, which are always the best safeguard
for fervent religious ladies. But, under the present circum-
stances, I am compelled by zeal, not only for the interests
of the Ladies of the Sacred Heart in this city, but through-
out the United States, to present to you, with sincere re-
spect, the reasons why, in my opinion, Mother Hardey
should be left where she is:

" i. The flourishing community of Manhattanville has
grown up and persevered in strictest religious fervor under
her wise, constant and judicious direction as Superior.

" 2. From the same establishment many branches have
been taken and planted in Albany, Rochester, Philadelphia,
Detroit, Montreal and even Halifax. The Superiors of these
houses have for the most part received their training at
Manhattanville, and the regularity and order of that house
they have everywhere endeavored to imitate. Madame Har-
dey has been their model. In cases of difficulty they have had
recourse to her wise and prudent counsel, nor do I think
these institutions are yet sufficiently established, or their
Superiors so confirmed in the whole knowledge and spirit
of their state, especially as Superiors, as to be able to dis-
pense with the great advantage of sometimes returning to
the Mother House at Manhattanville, and at all times of
consulting by letter the wise and excellent Mother Superior,
under whom they have been trained, and in whom they have
such unbounded and well merited confidence.

" 3. The removal of Mother Hardey at this time would
be a very great shock to the Catholics ; indeed, I might add
also, to the Protestants of New York. The respect and
veneration which both Catholics and Protestants entertain
for Madame Hardey are such that they would regard it as
a public calamity. I fear also that it would diminish to
some extent the confidence of the public in the Society of
the Sacred Heart.

"4. I would call your attention to the convent itself.
There everything is organized and going on in the simplic-

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MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

ity of fervent religious life, just the same as it has done for
the last eighteen years. But what I think deeply deserv-
ing of your consideration is, that the number of young
ladies who have been educated at the Sacred Heart is very
great indeed. Many of them have returned home, sending
back younger sisters, and, in not a few instances, their own
daughters. The tie that binds all these, scattered as they
are all over the country, to Manhattanville is Madame Har-
dey. To them it will not be the same institution if she is
removed. No doubt, another Superior, perhaps equally
capable might be appointed, but she will be as a stranger.
If Madame Hardey were removed by death it would not, in
my opinion, injure the school, but to send her to some other
place, where she cannot do more good, will be looked upon
as if her Superiors did not value the friendship and patron-
age of the Catholic community, or of the pupils that have
been educated in the institution.

" 5. The school is exceedingly flourishing. The number
of boarders is at this moment, I believe, two hundred and
six, of these about thirty-five are Protestants. Now, of the
Protestants in the school last year, fifteen became Catho-
lics and were baptized with the full consent of their parents.
And why did they give their consent? Because of their
confidence in Madame Hardey. These parents knew but
little of the Catholic religion, but they all believed that
whatever Madame Hardey would recommend for their chil-
dren must be necessarily good. Let a new Superior be put
in her place, and probably some of these would withdraw
their children. Even Catholics would not feel the same
security which they do now, for they have no anxiety as
long as their daughters are under the protection and wise
guidance of one who is so well known as the present Su-
perior of Manhattanville convent.

" Reverend dear Mother, in my position as Archbishop
of New York, I have deemed it but discharging the duty
of conscience both as regards my own flock and as regards

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

your excellent community, to write to you as I have done.
God forbid that either on this side of the ocean, or on the
other, I should interfere or disturb the constitutions, rules
and discipline of any religious society, and I pray you to
understand that in case it should be necessary to remove
Mother Hardey I shall regret it exceedingly for the reasons
I have mentioned, but I shall submit to it without a mur-
mur, as an evidence of the will of God in her regard. I
beg of you, however, to reflect on what I have written, and
I would beg further that if the rules require that Madame
Hardey, after so long a service, be changed to another post,
you would either by your own authority, or by authority
obtained from the proper source, direct her, under dispen-
sation, as an act of obedience, to remain where she is. The
community of the Sacred Heart has grown most rapidly in
the high estimation of the people of this country. But, after
all, it is still young, and it would be well to let its roots sink
deeper and become stronger in the American soil, before it
shall be tried by such a test as the removal of Madame
Hardey, at this moment, would expose it to.
" I have the honor to remain,

" Your obedient servant in Xt.,

"JOHN HUGHES,
" Abp. of New York."

We have been fortunately able to secure the following
reply of Mother Barat, which is still preserved in the
archives of the cathedral in New York :

" MONSEIGNEUR:

" I have received the letter which your Grace did me
the honor of writing, and I thank you sincerely for the kind
interest manifested towards our Society, and especially to-
wards those of our establishments confided to your pastoral
care.

" It is impossible for me to understand how you could

216

Mother House at Paris

MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

have been informed of a project which I have not enter-
tained, and of which, consequently, I have not spoken to
any one. Your Grace may have been told that Mother Har-
dey would be called to France for our General Council,
which probably will be assembled in the Spring of next
year, for I cannot foresee being able to convoke it at an
earlier period. This will not be the first time that she will
repair hither, and her visit does not indicate that she will
be changed from the post which she occupies at present. It
is true, that she has greatly exceeded the time which our
Constitutions have fixed for the exercise of authority in the
same place, and it is possible that this fact has given rise to
the conjecture in regard to her removal. But there is no
rule without an exception, and it is understood that a
thousand motives authorize this one, on account of the
peculiar position in which our houses in America are placed.
I know well the capabilities and devotedness, as well as
the virtues of our good Mother Hardey. No one can appre-
ciate them more than myself, and it is a consolation for me
to see that your Grace entertains a similar opinion of her
worth. I beg you therefore to believe that your letter and the
reasons which are therein exposed, have been fully under-
stood, and will be taken into consideration ; and that, more-
over, if I were obliged to decide upon a measure of such
importance I would be the first to inform your Grace of
the reasons which demanded such a measure, as I am in
duty bound.

" Permit me, Monseigneur, in expressing my lively grat-
itude for the powerful concurrence and protection which
our Society has always found in you, to solicit the continua-
tion of your favor, and deign to accept the homage of the
profound veneration with which I am,

" Your most humble servant in C. J. M.,

"M. L. S. BARAT,

" Sup. Gen."
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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

This answer fully satisfied Archbishop Hughes that
Madame Hardey would not be removed from Manhattan-
ville, nor was there question of a change of residence for
her during his lifetime. We shall see later on how this
obedient religious took the initiative herself in reconciling
the Archbishop's successor to her transfer to Kenwood.

It is natural to suppose that Mother Trincano was held
responsible for the alarm of the Archbishop, and we find
the following allusion to the subject in one of her letters
of that period to Mother Hardey : " I know, my dear
Mother, that I deserve a good penance for my indiscretion,
and I shall gladly perform it in the hope that it may render
me more prudent in the future. Oh ! do not fear to trust
your Therese, and I promise you will never have cause to
doubt her again." In another letter she writes : " The 4th
of April, the anniversary of your return from Havana, re-
called many sweet remembrances. My Communion was
offered for you, and I presented you anew to Him who gave
you back to us with such loving tenderness, when He was
about to take you to Himself. I am sure my sacrifice of
being separated from you, must be agreeable to our dearest
Lord, since he continues to prolong it. In moments of
trial, it is a comfort to know that there is something I can
give Him in return for the signal favor He has granted
me. For the preservation of my dear Mother I would will-
ingly accept any sacrifice, expose myself to any danger.
I hear that I am blamed for my remark to the Archbishop,
and I fear you will try to exonerate me. Do not seek to
justify me in the eyes of our venerated Mother General.
Such precious occasions of humiliation are rare, and I con-
sider it a great grace to suffer something in so good a
cause."

We learn from Mother Trincano's letters, which Mother
Hardey preserved until her death, how strong were the ties
of friendship uniting these two great souls, and the mutual

218

MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

support resulting from so close a union in the Heart of
Jesus.

The pecuniary assistance which Mother Hardey gave
during the erection of the new convent of " the Sault " is
made evident in this correspondence. She was a visible
Providence to Mother Trincano, who, burdened with debt,
informs her dear Mother of her anxiety in one letter, and in
the next gives expression to her gratitude in the following
words : " It is with tears in my eyes that I write to you
to-day. They are not tears of sadness, but of gratitude for
your goodness towards this little family. A thousand dol-
lars ! O my dear Mother, what a help this amount will be !
What shall we do to prove our appreciation of so much
goodness, so often bestowed upon your Canadian family. I
know not what to say; but we shall apply to the Heart of
Jesus to pay our debt of gratitude, and from that Source
of Grace floods of benedictions will be poured upon our be-
loved Mother, and the many works of zeal in which she is
engaged for the glory of the Divine Master."

Mother Hardey's resources seemed to be multiplied in
proportion to the generosity with which they were employed
in relieving the wants of others. One of her daughters
writes : " My uncle and guardian handed me a cheque on
Christmas day, telling me to use it as I pleased, as it was
his Christmas gift to me. Immediately on leaving the par-
lor I went to Reverend Mother's room to offer my gift to
her, for I knew how many things were needed at Manhat-
tanville. She smiled and thanked me with her usual gra-
ciousness, and I was happy to know that she was pleased.
Next morning when I went to her room she said : ' I have
just received a letter from Mother Eugenie telling me she
has no money to pay her workmen. Will you not be glad
to have me send her your cheque? ' When I looked a little
disappointed, she added : ' You see, three of us will be made
happy by your uncle's gift. You in having it to give to me,

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

I in being able to give it to Mother Eugenie, and that dear
Mother's Christmas joy in being able to pay her men.' "

In a letter dated July 12, 1859, Mother Barat expressed
the hope of seeing Mother Hardey in Paris at an early date,
and of showing her the new mother-house, which had just
been completed. Although she makes allusion only to the
holding of the General Council, her words seem prophetic :
" I hope, if nothing happens, that you will soon share with
us this new home, which is yours also. I trust that before
going to God, I shall have the happiness of seeing the head
superiors of the Society, for now that we have a home of
our own, it is a great joy for your Mother to welcome in
turn those dear daughters who come to seek from us the
counsel and aid of which they have need. I long to see you
and dear Mother Jouve with us. Prepare in advance for
this visit. We have a great deal to do and the work be-
comes heavier every day."

A little later Mother Barat writes again to thank her for
a gift which is to this day a souvenir of the beloved donor :
" I thank you, my dear daughter, for the beautiful and grace-
ful Holy Water font, with which you have adorned our
chapel. I hope you will soon have the consolation of visit-
ing this Mother House, which is truly your home."

Under date of May 28, 1860, Mother Barat writes again :
" DEAR AND GOOD DAUGHTER :

" I have not the heart to let the present occasion pass
without sending you some lines for my own consolation,
as also to thank you for your offerings. I cannot express
how grateful I am, and I shall ask the Heart of Jesus to ap-
ply to you the merit of the good works to which your gift
will be destined.

"When will it be given me to see you again? Alas!
circumstances have retarded the holding of the General
Council, but, while awaiting the desired epoch, draw nearer
than ever to the Heart of our Good Master, for I see you
have great need of His help, now especially when certain

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MANHATTANVILLE PUPILS

subjects give you so much anxiety. Alas! I acknowledge
to you that this is also my cross of crosses ! None so pain-
ful! Yet, we superiors must be resigned to bear it. We
are born to live with creatures who are not angels, so we
must be patient with them.

" Having at present nothing worth offering you, I
thought you might appreciate this chaplet from Jerusalem.
The sister of two of our nuns gathered the grains herself
in the Garden of Olives, where Jesus underwent His Agony.
The beads have also touched the most noted sanctuaries of
the Holy Land, and I enclose the list of Indulgences. I
wish I could find out what would give you pleasure.
You must let me know when we meet, a happiness which
I hope from the goodness of the Divine Heart, in 1861."

221

CHAPTER XIX.

MOTHER HARDEY'S VISIT TO PARIS — ON HER RETURN SHE
VISITS THE HOUSES OF THE VICARIATE — FOUNDA-
TION IN MONTREAL — 1860-1861.

In the Spring of 1860, Mother Trincano was deputed by
Mother Hardey to make the regular visit of the convent in
Halifax. Although the community were rejoiced to wel-
come this good Mother, general disappointment was felt
at not seeing Mother Hardey, especially as the rumor of
her approaching removal had traveled thither, causing great
alarm. Mother Peacock, the superior, wrote a letter full
of regrets and anxious forebodings, to which Mother Har-
dey sent the following reply :

"Mv DEAR MOTHER:

" I have detained Mother Thompson's letter much longer
than I intended, but I could not make up my mind to let it
go without scribbling a few lines to prove how untrue is
your dream. There is no foundation for your fear of my
removal, so far, I mean, as I can tell. My reason for send-
ing good Mother Trincano was the danger of my leaving
for France without knowing the needs of your house, as it
was supposed the Council would take place this Spring.
Now you have the explanation.

" Your devoted bishop has probably given you the Man-
hattanville news. We were truly happy to see him, and to
hear from him that your family, and you, especially, are in
good health, and that yours is ' the best community in the
country.' I was obliged to stop writing. Rheumatism and
the cold have tried my patience, and prevented me from
using hand or arm, but this must be expected in old age.
It is probable the Council will be convened this year, but
not until the fall. This delay will doubtless enable me to

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VISIT TO PARIS

see you this Summer, if I am not compelled to change my
plans; I mean, if I do not receive other orders.

" Our Novitiate is daily increasing, two pupils entered

on Ash Wednesday. I shall be happy to see Mary C ,

if she still perseveres in her good intention. Madame Phelan
will make her profession on Easter Monday.

" Good-night, dear Mother, pray for

" Yours devotedly in C. J.,

A. HARDEY, R. S. C. J."

In the month of June, Mother Jouve, the Vicar of Louis-
iana, was called to New York on business, and while there
she received a letter from Mother Barat, bidding her hasten
to Paris. Mother Hardey's summons did not arrive, but
the previous letters of Mother Barat lead her to believe
that she was likewise expected, so with the advice of her
counsellors she prepared at once for departure. In July
the two superiors sailed, accompanied by the Countess of
Villanova, a true benefactress of the convent in Havana.
This estimable lady had lost her eyesight completely, and
she was going to Spain for the purpose of ending her days
in one of the convents of the Sacred Heart, a favor which she
counted upon receiving through the influence of Mother
Hardey with Mother Barat. The favor was graciously
granted.

Mothers Hardey and Jouve crossed the ocean with their
hearts filled with the joyful anticipation of laying down their
burden of care and responsibility at the feet of their " first
Mother " and making known to her their success and fail-
ures. Mother Hardey's happiness was for a moment clouded
on her arrival at the mother-house to find that she had not
been expected, but her embarrassment was of short dura-
tion, as Mother Barat expressed her gratitude to the Heart
of Jesus for having Himself arranged this long desired meet-
ing. We learn from a letter of the secretary of the Mother

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

General, received at Manhattanville after the travellers had
sailed, the explanation of the matter :

" Rev. Mother Jouve has written of her arrival in New
York, and the details have greatly interested our Very Rev.
Mother; another letter reached us yesterday, in which she
says, she is waiting to learn from you the date of depar-
ture. Our Mother fears there is some misunderstanding, for
she would not be at ease to have both of you absent just
now from her dear America."

It was in the designs of God that Mother Hardey should
not receive this letter, as He intended her to enjoy a brief
respite from the cares and anxieties of her life of active zeal
in the peaceful haven of the mother-house, where under
the maternal guidance of the saintly Foundress she laid up
a fresh stock of grace for the period of trial and suffering
upon which she was soon to enter. By a happy dispensa-
tion of Providence we have been able to learn much of
Mother Hardey's interior life through the letters of her
saintly director, Rev. Father Gresselin, S. J. They were
written during the course of five or six years preceding the
death of this good Father, and were saved from destruction
by a fortunate circumstance. We quote the following extract
from a letter written in reference to this visit to Paris:
" MADAME :

" Those enterprises which are destined to succeed al-
ways begin with the Cross. St. Ignatius augurs no good
from such as had a prosperous beginning. I have been told
by Madame Boudreau that a letter has been received since
your departure stating that you are not expected in Paris.

" Well, if you have not been received with open arms
so much the better! God will be glorified by your humilia-
tion, and when you have acquired thereby your share of
merit you will be able to obtain what you have gone to seek
for the welfare of others. Make your Mothers in France
realize the importance of your Society in America, and the
vast field of usefulness awaiting it here, where, from many

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VISIT TO PARIS

points of view, civilization is more advanced than in Europe.
I hope you will not be so unfortunate as to meet with those
of my compatriots who think you have come from a coun-
try of savages.

" As your one desire is to procure the glory of the Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary you will surely experience the
effects of their assistance. In silence and patience you
must draw all the closer to God, because from Him alone
will come the strength you need. Meditate for some time
every day upon the destinies of your Society in this New
World, and when you have understood the immense good
it should accomplish you will see that such gain cannot be
too dearly purchased. If your Mother General does not at
first realize the importance of your mission, continue to
make your representations, and, ere long, this admirable
Mother will bless God for having given her in your person
so powerful an aid in extending the reign of Jesus Christ.

" I could not resist the desire of sending you a few words
of encouragement, which I beg you to communicate to
Mother Jouve, as they apply equally to her. All is going on
well here. The English retreat is now being given. I shall
commence the French retreat on the i8th of August, to end
on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I beg your
good prayers for those eight days."

Mother Hardey's sojourn in Paris was restful to both
mind and heart, and she returned to resume her burden
somewhat strengthened in health, and greatly refreshed in
spirit. One of her first acts of zeal on arriving in New York
was to forward to Mother Goetz, the Superior of the Gen-
eral Novitiate at Conflans, a sewing machine, the first of
its kind introduced into a European convent of the Sacred
Heart. She received in acknowledgment the following let-
ter of thanks:

" CONFLANS, November 2, 1860.

" How can I express my thanks, clear Reverend Mother,
for your great charity. The precious sewing machine ar-
15 225

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

rived safely. Reverend Mother Henriette tried it at the
mother-house and was enchanted. To-day it was installed
in the linen room of Conflans, where it works marvelously,
thanks to the good Sister you sent, who manages it so ad-
mirably. Accept, dear Rev. Mother, a thousand thanks
from myself and all the novices. This saving of time and
labor will secure to us more leisure to pray to our dear
Lord that He may bless you and the works in which you
are engaged, and this debt of gratitude we shall discharge
with all our hearts.

" Your humble little sister in C. J.,

"JOSEPHINE GOETZ, R. S. C. J."

As soon as the scholastic year was well started at Man-
hattanville, Mother Hardey began the visitation of all the
houses in her vicariate, starting new works of zeal, or
giving fresh impetus to those already in operation. Once
again at Manhattanville, she began an extension of the con-
vent buildings, and devoted herself with increased vigor to
the welfare of the school and the spiritual advancement of
her daughters. In this last work she was greatly assisted
by her holy and enlightened director, at that time confessor
of the community. While suggesting precepts for the
guidance of her religious, Father Gresselin sought to form
in the superior, herself, a model, whose bearing might at
every moment say : " Behold, I have given you an ex-
ample ! " We read in one of his letters :

" You have a great mission of charity to accomplish ;
you must, therefore, become a living image of the meekness
and suavity of the Heart of Jesus. Let the exercise of this
virtue be a part of your cross. I mean that charity which
consists in spending oneself and in being spent for the
welfare of others. To make yourself 'all to all,' thereby to
gain all to Jesus Christ is not according to the inclinations
of nature."

.These general counsels are mingled with special recom-

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VISIT TO PARIS

mendations for the exercise of charity. " I enjoin upon
you," he writes, " not to forget your invalids, particularly
on holidays, when the community and pupils are enjoying
themselves. Speak to them on such occasions of the happi-
ness awaiting them, of the vision of Jesus and Mary. Make
them realize how precious are the closing days of life. Sug-
gest to them heroic acts of charity. Dilate their hearts,
encouraging them to gain higher degrees of merit by
frequently renewing the sacrifice of their lives and by ador-
ing the will of God, who is about to call them to Himself.
They should each day unite themselves more intimately to
Jesus and Mary, in order to love them more perfectly
throughout all eternity. Oh ! how terrible an evil it is to
lose one degree of that love."

We find an indication in these letters that Mother Har-
dey sometimes reproached herself for the faults of others.
Hence in answer to one of these touching evidences of
humility, her director says : " Do not attribute to yourself
the imperfections which may still be found in some of your
daughters. You condemn yourself too much, though it is
possible if you had possessed a more effusive spirit of char-
ity some faults might have been prevented. The practice
of that charity is difficult, it is true, but if it were not diffi-
cult, where would be the Cross?"

The wise director sometimes saw fit to mingle humilia-
tions with his strengthening counsels. " I find," he writes,
" it natural for you to take a haughty air, of which you are
wholly unconscious. You have a certain coldness of manner
which keeps strangers at a distance. This you have partly
corrected, but it is yet noticeable, and on certain occasions
you would have been able to do more good if you had been
more condescending.

" We must often take the initiative in seeking to gain
hearts, and place ourselves on their level. However, a cer-
tain reserve is sometimes advantageous, for it inspires a
salutary respect. The other extreme of being too affable

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

and familiar would perhaps be even more injurious. I
would like you to show the charity of Jesus, while preserv-
ing the nobility of His intercourse with others."

Writing at the period when Mother Hardey had com-
pleted the fiftieth year of her age, Father Gresselin places
before her the Cross, and the burning words of the great
Apostle of the Gentiles. " The moment has come for you
to enter into the third and last period of your life," he says.
" The period not so much of progress as of perfection. You
must die to all that you may live only in Jesus Christ. Re-
flect seriously upon these words of St. Paul : ' I die daily ! '
Try to fathom their meaning, for they signify death to all
desires, all fears, all affections merely natural. There is
no time for you to lose. Perhaps the number of your days
is limited. Make then to your spouse, Jesus, the sacrifice
of all to which your heart clings — life, your community,
your Order! He is the Father of your family, the Protec-
tor of your Society; do not hesitate to make to Him the
sacrifice He demands of you, and in return He will give you
what He holds most precious, His Cross and His Blessed
Mother."

These words seem to have been a preparation for the
sacrifice which Mother Hardey was one day to make of her
Vicariate and of her native land. We find in another letter
words of encouragement : " The past is irreparable only
after death. As long as we live on earth the grace of God
is ours without measure, enabling us to repair lost oppor-
tunities, and to obtain anew the merits which we had for-
feited by failing to co-operate with the inspirations of grace.
You are a Mother in your community, have then all the
solicitude and tenderness of a mother who divines when
there is a slight illness, or heaviness of heart in her child.
You have remarkable penetration on that score. Remem-
ber the resolution you took when that Spanish novice had
not the courage to ask for what she needed. Her impru-
dence cost her her life, or, at least, shortened her days.

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VISIT TO PARIS

" Perhaps it was better for her to fly then to the bosom
of God, but this does not regard us. It is our duty to
delay such departures as much as possible. Be particularly
solicitous for those who have lately come from the world.
Protect especially those who do not shine as much as the
others. Sometimes these quiet persons have their hearts
all the more full, because they speak less. Beware of for-
getting that the Heart of Jesus preserved you in Cuba, in
order that you might make Him known and loved more than
you had ever done before.

" If there had been negligence in the past, He gives
you powerful means for reaching this end. He has given
you remarkable influence over the religious, of whom you
are the Superior and the Mother. They all respect and love
you, as much as it is possible for them to love and reverence
a human being. He confides to you thousands of children
to fashion for Him according to His designs over them.
Any negligence, or indifference that might be noticeable in
you would produce great voids in their lives. Seek the
most striking motives with which to inflame all hearts with
love for the Heart of Jesus. See how His passion is an-
nulled, how His blood is trampled under foot ! Say to your
dear religious, the spouses so tenderly loved by Jesus, that
they have been chosen by Him in order to console and love
Him superabundantly in order to share His sorrows at the
sight of the loss of souls, and that, if they do not feel this,
they are greatly to be pitied. Tell them to meditate often
upon the admirable words of their office and the Mass
of the Sacred Heart, these especially : ' My Heart hath
suffered reproach and abandonment, and I looked for some
one to console me and I found none.' Their life should be a
continual holocaust of love offered to the Divine Heart of
Jesus. There is no place anywhere for mediocrity in the
Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ! "

In addition to the foregoing instructive exhortations
our readers will pardon us, we hope, for quoting one

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

more extract from these letters before resuming the events
which mark the opening of this last period of Mother Har-
tley's life, a period of just twenty-five years of labor and
prayer and suffering.

In the following lines her director invites his willing
disciple to enter more fully into a life of intimate union
with God : "There is a point upon which I have not touched
sufficiently, it is the direct communication with God, which
must be the mainspring of all your actions. One cannot be
always occupied with the neighbor, nor in thinking of
others, but one may become exclusively absorbed in God.
When we look at an object we see more than the object
itself. Our sight embraces a large circle around the prin-
cipal object, but our attention is fixed upon the central point.
Thus should we contemplate God, considering ourselves in
that general way which suffices for us to know what passes
within us. You give too much time to self-introspection.
You are too easily affected by the many casual accidents
of life. Nature is stronger within you than you believe,
otherwise you would be more independent of things that
are annoying and disagreeable. I know that you aspire
to freedom of spirit and death to nature that you may live
wholly to God ; and you have made progress in this state,
but you are not yet perfectly established therein, and Jesus
Christ loves you too much to be satisfied with half measures,
weak efforts and partial success."

Then, in a tone akin to prophecy, the writer speaks of
approaching trials, when he says: "Thick darkness will en-
velop your soul, and God will entirely withdraw His sensi-
ble presence, and the enemy will cause tempests to rise up
around you. Your virtue needs such trials, to grow accord-
ing to the will of your Divine Spouse. This is the third
period of which I spoke to you in a former letter, the period
of perfection. You must enter therein with all the ardor of
which you are capable, aided by divine grace. You must
begin to long for Jesus and His Mother Mary, and His

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VISIT TO PARIS

Cross, with such strength of will and glowing fervor that
the voids of your past life may be completely filled."

These vigorous counsels served to prepare Mother Har-
dey for a period of great physical suffering and subsequent
mental trials. Her soul had to pass through the crucible
to which Father Gresselin referred, and we find her writing
to Mother Barat of the interior suffering which she endured :

" It is a sweet consolation to me to be your daughter,
although so unworthy, but your charity reassures me in the
midst of my interior dryness and torpor of soul. Oh! my
venerated Mother, how you would pity me if you knew
how much I suffer, and how hard it is for me to bear with
myself and my miseries. If I could only love Our Lord
with tenderness ! But all I can do is to throw myself upon
His Mercy, and try to resign myself to my sad condition,
trusting that with His grace I will overcome the obstacles
to my union with Him."

Early in 1861 she was attacked by an illness, the symp-
toms of which were truly alarming, and for several weeks
but faint hopes were entertained of her recovery. Though
she requested that the other convents should not be informed
of her condition the sorrowful news rapidly spread through-
out the Vicariate filling all hearts with anguish, and giving
rise to a veritable crusade of prayer and penitential works
in behalf of the beloved invalid. Mother Trincano ex-
presses her grief in these touching lines: "Your tender
charity, dear Reverend Mother, has led you to hide from us
the misfortune with which we were threatened, but I have
just heard from one of our Sisters of your dangerous illness.
We are deeply grieved to learn of your sufferings and the
anxiety of our Mothers and Sisters of Manhattanville. I
try to be hopeful, but at your age, dear Mother, such a sick-
ness becomes more serious, and the results may be very
grave if you do not take the necessary precautions. I am
no longer in the position which gave me the right to watch
over your health, but my filial and unchanging affection

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

certainly gives me the privilege of imploring you, my be-
loved Mother, to have pity on your children and spare your-
self for their sake. It is needless to say that I am with
you in spirit, that the thought of you never for a moment
leaves me. How painful this separation is, and how much
I feel the distance from you ! May my entire submission
to the will of God hasten your cure, and bring you before
long to your Canadian family, whose prayers, penances and
other good works are daily offered for the preservation of
life far dearer to us than our own ! "

Mother Hardey's holy director writes to her in a very
different strain ; evidently he felt that the hand of God had
been laid heavily upon His faithful spouse and she was to
remain humbled and resigned under its blessed weight:

" We heard from a letter of Madame Jones, that you
have been seriously ill. This should be taken as a new sign
of God's Providence. I told you that you must become a
sanctuary of charity, where the odor of sacrifice continually
ascends before the throne of God. Our days are short and
numbered. Let us not lose the least portion of them. Of
himself, man cannot love God enough. He must despoil
himself of himself, change himself into Jesus Christ, real-
izing more and more that astonishing word of St. Paul, ' I
live now, not I, but Jesus Christ lives in me ! ' You must
transform yourself into Jesus Christ whom you receive so
often. Let Him become the soul of your soul, putting aside
your own individuality, and letting Jesus Christ alone be
henceforth your being. This is the way to fill up the voids
of your life, and if you do this, death may come when it
pleases."

Fortunately for her daughters and the souls whom she
was to help on in the way of perfection and salvation, death
did not come then to Mother Hardey. Fervent prayers and
skillful nursing obtained in time the result so ardently de-
sired. The invalid rallied, but her convalescence was pro-
tracted and variable. Change of scene, entire rest and free-

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dom from all anxiety were prescribed as essentials to com-
plete recovery. Obedient as ever to the orders of her phys-
ician, Mother Hardey consented to go for a brief change to
Kenwood. Her respite from the duties of her office was,
however, of short duration. Having gained sufficient
strength for a longer journey, she went to London, Ontario,
in compliance with the request of Mother Barat, as there
was question of suppressing the convent there, for Mgr.
Pinsonnault had transferred the seat of his bishopric to
Sandwich, and many Catholics left the city and withdrew
their daughters from the Convent of the Sacred Heart.
After investigating the state of affairs, Mother Hardey was
convinced that the good seed already sown awaited only the
coming of a new Spring to produce an abundant harvest;
and so she begged for further delay. Some months later,
through the intervention of Cardinal Bofondi, the Protec-
tor of the Society, the question of suppression was dropped.

From London Mother Hardey went to Montreal, not
to seek health, but to continue her mission of zeal in behalf
of the Society and of souls. For several years Bishop Bourget
had renewed his request to have a day school established in
the city, urging that it would prove a more convenient cen-
tre than the Convent of the Sault for the meetings of the
Children of Mary and the extension of their admirable works
of charity. The Mother General accordingly appointed
Mother Hardey to act in her name and decide upon the
question, as we learn from a letter dated April 28, 1861 :

" I hardly know what answer to give regarding the
offer made you by Monseigneur Bourget. If the Sault were
out of debt I should not hesitate, provided you had subjects
for the foundation. The good which our education accom-
plishes in the boarding schools is in reality only begun, for
it does not enable our pupils to resist the enticements of a
worldly life, when they are surrounded by families infatu-
ated with it. It is at this particular time that young per-
sons, whether single or married, have need of the help of

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

their religious teachers, and the pious congregations, which
can be directed only in city houses, afford them this oppor-
tunity. Notwithstanding the truth of these considerations,
I dare not counsel you to undertake this enterprise, ham-
pered as you are by debts and threatened by civil war. I
trust, however, to your judgment and prudence to do what
is for the best."

After conferring with Bishop Bourget, Mother Hardey
promised to provide at once for the new foundation, and she
commissioned Mother Trincano to select a suitable location.
The events which follow point to a confirmation of these
words of Father Gresselin : " You are destined to promote
the glory of the Heart of Jesus rather by suffering and the
Cross than by those exterior works which the world may
admire without knowing the secret of their success."
Mother Hardey had indeed entered upon the third period
of her life, the period of trial and consequent perfection.
Soon after her return to Manhattanville, a workman, em-
ployed on the new building, fell from a high scaffolding,
and lived only long enough to receive the last rites of the
Church. His wife and little children were crushed with
grief, as the poor man died without being able to address
to them one consoling word. Mother Hardey felt keenly
this affliction, and provided for the destitute family until
the eldest son was able to make a livelihood for his mother
and two little sisters. Shortly after this accident two men
were killed at the blasting of the rocks near the entrance
to the convent grounds. Scarcely had she recovered from
this shock, when she sustained another in the death of one

of her pupils. Little Jessie R was as remarkable for

her intelligence and precocious judgment as for the expres-
sion of innocence which lighted up her beautiful features.
Though her mother was a fervent Catholic, her father was
still a Protestant. The diplomatic circles in Washington
often met at his house, and during their discussions of the
burning questions of the day Jessie frequently glided in

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among them, stood beside her father, and manifested a
lively interest in the conversation of the guests. She was
not obtrusive, but, occasionally, she rebuked with an artless
grace those who trespassed on the boundaries of charity
or truth. The friends of the family gave her the title of
the " Little Solomon."

At school she won the esteem of her companions and
edified them by an earnest piety, especially during the pu-
pils' retreat, which was her final preparation for death. On
the third day of the exercises she fell ill ; the following day
the physician declared her case hopeless. When told she
was to receive the last Sacraments the dear child said that
her confession during the retreat had been made as a prepa-
ration for death, and so she was not afraid to die. The smile
that lit up her countenance seemed to give assurance that
her soul hovered joyously on the confines of a better world.
The parents had been immediately summoned, but just as
they crossed the threshold of the convent their angel ex-
pired in the arms of Mother Hardey. With genuine deli-
cacy, even while broken-hearted over their loss, the be-
reaved parents expressed their deep regret that the shadow
of their cross had fallen upon the heart of the devoted
Mother who had cared so tenderly for their child. Soon
after they gave fresh proof of their gratitude by sending
another daughter to be educated at Manhattanville.

Other trials soon followed. One night Mother Hardey
was aroused from sleep bj the cry, " Mother, the house is
on fire ! " Without taking time to dress, she hurried from
her room filled with anxiety for the safety of the pupils.
To her great relief she saw that the fire was not in the
house, but in the laundry, which was separated from the
main building. She gave orders that the children should
not be disturbed, and that the religious should observe pro-
found silence. The firemen soon reached the spot, and aid-
ed by the villagers who had hastened to the rescue worked
hard to keep the flames from reaching the convent. The

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

community and the novices were united in fervent prayer
on the enclosed galleries opposite the burning building, and
a deathlike silence reigned everywhere. It was not long
before the firemen conquered the flames. With character-
istic thoughtfulness Mother Hardey had hot drinks pre-
pared for the men as the night was cold. This act of kind-
ness touched them deeply, and before leaving they asked
to express their gratitude to the good Mother Superior, say-
ing they would ever be ready to risk even life to save the
convent.

This accident was attended with distressing conse-
quences to Mother Hardey, who took cold that night and
again became dangerously ill. She once more rallied, but
her health was never completely restored. It was in vain
she sought to withhold this news from her beloved Superior
General. The tidings of her illness reached France, and
Mother Barat hastened to express her deep anxiety. She
writes : " Since receiving the last mail from New York, my
daughter, I have been most uneasy in regard to your health.
The details I have received have greatly afflicted me, and
I am now watching for each mail, hoping it may bring
better news. I trust some one will soon relieve my anxiety
which continues day and night. If you, dear Mother, could
add a few lines with your own hand, how happy I should
be ! This uneasiness renders many other trials sent us by
Divine Providence doubly hard to bear. . . . No sor-
row can weigh so heavily upon me as your illness, hence
I beg you will keep me informed."

Mother Barat had then heard the worst features of the
illness of her much loved daughter. Paralysis of the right
hand was henceforth to incapacitate Mother Hardey for the
accomplishment of a duty which she had always held sacred,
that of carrying on, unaided, her large epistolary corre-
spondence. For the future the task was to be performed by
a secretary. Her last effort found expression in a few lines
written with great difficulty to Mother Barat in 1862. Only

236

VISIT TO PARIS

those who knew Mother Hardey intimately could realize the
suffering that this infliction entailed. To be forced to ex-
press her secret thoughts, and make known her hidden
plans, through the medium of another's pen was a continual
sacrifice, yet no one ever heard a regret, much less a mur-
mur, escape her lips. The privation was the will of God,
consequently her will also. For twenty-five years she bore
this cross so patiently, we might almost say, so naturally,
that she seemed to forget she had ever been able to write.
It was her daughters who felt most keenly the privation,
yet the misfortune proved to be a blessing in disguise. The
physicians attested that the paralysis which had been grad-
ually making progress, in forcing Mother Hardey to lay
aside her pen helped to prolong her life, as the labor in-
volved in her extensive correspondence would certainly
have shortened her days. They had even forbidden her,
several months before the fatal stroke, to write beyond
twenty minutes at a time, and she, accepting the order in
a spirit of obedience, had charged one of the religious to
warn her when the prescribed interval had expired. Re-
laxation from one duty afforded her wider scope for the
discharge of others. She now devoted herself in fuller meas-
ure to personal intercourse with her daughters, and to the
general direction of the communities under her charge.

237

CHAPTER XX.

CIVIL WAR IN THE UNITED STATES — FOUNDATION OF

SANCTO SPIRITU — LETTERS OF REVEREND FATHER

GRESSELIN, S. J., HER DIRECTOR — 1861-1864.

While some of the events recorded in the last chapter
were transpiring, the United States entered upon one of
the most critical periods of its history, namely, the secession
of the Southern States, and the consequent struggle for the
abolition of slavery, and the maintenance of the Union.
The fall of Fort Sumter gave the signal for war, and within
a few months a million soldiers had entered the field to
wage a terrible conflict. In the peaceful seclusion of the
cloister, as elsewhere, hearts throbbed with anguish for
the fate of loved ones exposed to the dangers of the battle-
field. Grave cares and bitter sorrows were thus added to
the heavy responsibilities which Mother Hardey had to
bear. Her own relations and early friends were in the
South, her mission, devoted friends, and the religious com-
munities subject to her were in the North. Conflicting in-
terests and affections found place in her heart, but her out-
ward calmness veiled from her daughters the inward suffer-
ing she endured. Now, more than ever, she forgot her own
grief to sustain the courage of those entrusted to her care.

" I well remember," writes one of her religious, " the
gloom that filled our hearts when the news reached us of
the battle of Bull Run, and the overwhelming defeat of
the Northern Army. We were at recreation, and as the
account was read aloud the horrors of civil war, the wreck
of the Union, visions of bloodshed and misery, rose so
vividly before me that my brain seemed on fire, and my
whole being was agitated with fear. Instinctively I left my
place and seated myself on a low stool near Reverend

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CIVIL WAR IN THE UNITED STATES

Mother. I felt that by her side I should grow calm, nor
was I mistaken. She read my thoughts, and quickly turn-
ing the conversation, lifted up our hearts from the sad fore-
bodings that oppressed them, to a childlike confidence in
God."

It required all Mother Hardey's energy, tact and pru-
dence to maintain the Manhattanville school during the
war. Like other prominent boarding schools of New York,
it depended largely for its patronage upon the South. While
the loss of their pupils ruined many other establishments,
the convents of the Sacred Heart not only continued to
flourish, but were enabled, by Mother Hardey's wise man-
agement and great charity, to retain among the scholars
the children of many Southern families impoverished by the
ravages of war. The following lines from one who was a
recipient of that bounty echo the sentiments of many an-
other pupil of Manhattanville, similarly favored :

" I am one of dear Mother Hardey's children of Man-
hattanville. Received during the war as a gratis pupil, a
little Rebel refugee, never shall I forget her delicate gen-
erosity, and to-day, as a professed religious, one of my
life's motives is to repay our dear Society for what it gave
me through her. I was made to feel my position only by
marks of particular kindness, a deeper interest, and more
maternal dealings towards me. I was received a Child of
Mary, after months of waiting and struggle, and on the day
of my admission she sent me the coveted medal, with a
little note of congratulation and her blessing. When cir-
cumstances so shaped themselves that I was obliged to
enter the Novitiate of another Province, rather than that
of Kenwood, she again showed her exquisite delicacy of
character. With her sweet words of approbation and en-
couragement she removed my embarrassment, assuring
me that she cordially ratified my decision. Though this is
all personal, I feel that it would be unfilial not to drop my
flower of gratitude on a tomb so loved."

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

There are so many tributes to Mother Hardey's gen-
erosity during this sad period that we are obliged to omit
several. The following appears in the pages of " A Story
of Courage," a history of the Visitation Convent at George-
town, D. C. : " Rumors of possible fighting at Washington,
when the civil war broke out, led to the general belief in
some quarters that the community would have to disperse
and look for shelter elsewhere. Thereupon Mother Har-
dey, Superior of the Religious of the Sacred Heart, imme-
diately planned that they should come to her at Manhattan-
ville, and prepared for them all the rooms she had at her
disposal. That these reports of dispersion were unfounded
does not detract from the ready and admirable assistance
offered by Madame Hardey, whose noble character made
her beloved, far and wide. The Visitation Sisters of George-
town wish her kindness and their keen appreciation of it to
be recorded here in their annals."

While watching zealously over the interests of her own
family in the North, Mother Hardey was not less solicitious
for those convents which were exposed to the chances of
war. She obtained for them the protection of some of the
Northern generals, whose daughters were pupils of Man-
hattanville, and, as the struggle was prolonged, and devas-
tation followed the tramp of the armies over the State of
Louisiana her sympathy became more active.

Mother Barat, alarmed for the fate of her families in the
West, cut off as they were from communication with their
Vicar, Mother Jouve, in Louisiana, and not appreciating the
agitated condition of the country, requested Mother Har-
dey to visit the Missouri convents and provide for their
necessities. The Secretary of Mother Barat wrote : " Our
Very Reverend Mother desires to know from you the state
of affairs, and she hopes you will be able to give the neces-
sary help to the family of St. Louis, now so sorely tried.
Mother du Rousier is anxiously awaiting the help you have
offered Chile, and of which she has the utmost need. You

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CIVIL WAR IN THE UNITED STATES

will be doing a work of charity by sending her assistance,
but, at the same time, can you not do something for the
house in St. Louis?" It was in vain that Mother Hardey
was urged not to attempt the journey to St. Louis; her
desire to fulfill the wishes of her superior and help those
in need of her services, triumphed over the dictates of
prudence. She set out in the middle of August, 1862, and,
after encountering many dangers and delays, reached St.
Louis in September. There, as elsewhere, her presence was
a source of comfort and consolation, as many letters testify.

The Secretary of Mother Barat wrote : " Our Mother
was happy to know that you were able to make the journey
to St. Louis. She thinks it advisable that the Western
houses should correspond with you, while they are unable
to communicate with Mother Jouve. You must, therefore,
direct the changes that may become necessary, or useful.
Your recent letter has relieved our Mother of a great anx-
iety, since it assures her that the business difficulties of the
Convent of St. Joseph have been satisfactorily settled. She
begs me to tell you of her heartfelt gratitude for your good-
ness to her Western families. They have expressed their
appreciation of your visit, and Madame Galwey was espe-
cially grateful and delighted."

This letter was followed by one from Mother Barat:
" How much I suffered, dear daughter, on learning of the
feeble state of your health. Our Lord knows well that it
has been shattered by the labors undergone for the wel-
fare of His little Society. He will not forget your self-
sacrifice, nor will your Mother be unmindful of your serv-
ices. The news you have given has reassured us in regard
to the convents in the West, but we have no tidings of our
families in Louisiana. Naught remains for us but to pray
and hope that Jesus will guard and protect them." These
prayers were not offered in vain. A letter from Mother
Jouve gives us an insight into the condition of affairs.

" It would require the voice of a Jeremias," she writes,

16 241

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

"to depict the desolation of this country, hitherto so rich
and prosperous. The loss of slaves, cattle and crops, added
to fire and pillage, have reduced the most opulent families
to absolute want. Thanks to the protection of the generals
of both armies, or rather of the Heart of Jesus, our lands
have been respected, and guards were appointed by the
officers to protect us against the pillagers who infested the
neighborhood. Three armies have passed over this part of
the country within a year and the most complete devasta-
tion is the result. During the vacation of 1862, our pupils
remained with us, as their parents considered the convent
the safest place for them. Foreseeing the future awaiting
these dear children we determined to teach them to do with-
out the service of slaves. We divided them into bands and
taught them all kinds of manual labor. Some of them even
learned to milk the cows, and to do all the dairy work.
Their earnestness in this novel education equalled the cour-
age and energy which their mothers manifested at home in
the most grievous reverses of fortune."

Several of the Manhattanville community had near rela-
tives in the army. How maternal was Mother Hardey's
sympathy when the papers announced a battle and recorded
among the killed or wounded those near and dear to her
daughters. She caused Masses and general suffrages to be
offered for the departed, and assisted the bereaved families
with her alms whenever help was needed. She also took a
lively interest in the spiritual welfare of the soldiers. " How
often," writes a sister, " I helped Reverend Mother to pack
boxes of useful articles for the seat of war. Quantities of
lint, rolls of linen, boxes of ointment and bottles of medi-
cine. Everything that her charity could suggest was
brought into requisition. A supply of altar bread and Mass
wine was always provided for the chaplains." The following
extract is taken from a letter of Reverend Father Nash, S.
J. : " Madame Hardey sent to me for distribution among
the troops forming the Army of the Gulf (Nineteenth Army

243

CIVIL WAR IN THE UNITED STATES

Corps), of which I was chaplain, a large supply of devo-
tional articles, such as rosary beads, medals, prayer books,
and scapulars. In the name and by the request of the
soldiers, who appreciated the thoughtful remembrance of
their spiritual wants, I wrote to the Reverend Mother some
letters from the seat of war. She took a special interest in
our little drummer boys, to whom she sent particular marks
of favor. The little fellows, with noble pride, exhibited
through the camp these presents which they received, as
they informed us from ' the Mother of all Nuns.' One of her
little proteges died, whilst regretting that he was not spared
to go home and give ' the Mother of all Nuns ' the pleasure
of hearing how many beats he could play on his drum."

During this period of widespread suffering and trials,
Mother Hardey had the sorrow of losing some of her most
promising religious, whom death snatched from their ac-
tive labors in the school, but a loving Providence was rapid-
ly rilling their places with new candidates. Within the
space of four years fifty pupils from the schools in the Vicar-
iate entered the Novitiate, and with two exceptions all per-
severed. She was singularly blessed in securing for her
religious and pupils the ministry of such Jesuits as Fathers
Gresselin, Doucet, Tissot, Beaudevin and others equally
zealous and spiritual. We get some idea from Father Gres-
selin's letters of the fervor and peace which reigned at Man-
hattanville, in marked contrast with the rancor and bitter-
ness which raged throughout the country during the Civil
War. On account of failing health he had gone to Kingston,
Jamaica, whence he wrote to Mother Hardey on January
i, 1863:

" MADAME:

" I wish you in particular, and all your community, a
Holy and Happy New Year. I know of no place where a
soul can enjoy greater peace and glorify God more abund-
antly than at Manhattanville. This house remains in my

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

memory as something heavenly, an edifice which Our Lord
and his Blessed Mother and St. Joseph have built with
their own hands, in order to dwell there as at Nazareth, and
to attract there souls that will be devoted to them. In that
favored spot, there should be no limit to generosity. The
true and practical knowledge of Christian piety consists in
recognizing that we are only poverty and nothingness, and
not to be discouraged because we find ourselves full of de-
fects and miseries, notwithstanding our obligation of tending
to perfection. Tell your daughters to be simple with God,
who knows all our weaknesses and yet wishes us to call
Him ' Our Father/ Let them bear in mind this truth, that
since Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, a single Mass
heard, a single Communion received, will procure more
glory to God than all our sins put together could deprive
Him of. They must desire perfection in order to please
God, not for the sake of pleasing themselves. Banish from
your home all low spirits, all mean-spiritedness. Inflame
hearts with an enthusiasm for their vocation. Dilate the
hearts of your daughters, pour joy into them, otherwise
you are not a good superior; but, thank God, I know the
contrary ! Love your children as the pearls of Jesus, as the
roses and lilies of the garden of Mary. What an angelic
house you have to govern! It is the most beautiful image
of heaven we can see on earth ! "

In the beginning of the year 1863, thanks to the repu-
tation which the convent in Havana had acquired, a new
field of labor was offered to Mother Hardey's zeal in the
city of Sancto Spiritu, Cuba. The Board of Directors of the
St. Vincent de Paul Society invited the Religious of the
Sacred Heart to take charge of the education of thirty or-
phan girls, for whose maintenance the association would pro-
vide a house and $30,000, giving the religious the privilege
of establishing a boarding school and carrying on all the
works of their Institute. Spiritual aid would not be want-
ing, as the Jesuit Fathers were already settled there.

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CIVIL WAR IN THE UNITED STATES

Mother Barat accepted these conditions and in Feb-
ruary, 1863, Mother Hardey sailed for Cuba. The voyage
was rough and stormy, but it bore no comparison to the
fatiguing journey from Havana to Sancto Spiritu. As the
railroad had not yet been completed, the first day's journey
was made in a small boat, exposed to the rays of a tropical
sun. The night was passed in a miserable cabin, without
sleep or rest, and the next day was spent in driving through
wild woods in a jolting wagon, with noisy half-clad negroes
leading the horses. The little band of foundresses met
with a cordial welcome on their arrival. Mrs. Natividad
Yznaga, wife of General Acosta, gave one of her finest resi-
dences in the principal street of the city for the use of the
religious and the best families considered it a duty to offer
their services and gifts. The furniture, pianos, harmonium
for the chapel, were all donated by devoted friends and
patrons. The boarding school was opened with pupils from
Sancto Spiritu, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, and other neighboring
cities. As usual, all were won by Mother Hardey's at-
tractive manner. Even the negro servants were touched
by her kindness, and one poor fellow, especially, followed
her around, watching her every movement. When some
one complained of the annoyance, she quietly answered, " If
it gives him pleasure, why deprive him of it? "

It was while occupied with this foundation that she re-
ceived news of the death of her venerable father, which
occurred on December 29, 1862. Owing to the difficulty of
communication between the North and the South, the sor-
rowful tidings were first received in Canada and transmitted
by Mother Trincano in a letter dated March 27, 1863 :

" MY DEAR MOTHER :

" We have heard from Rev. Father Sellier of the death
of your beloved father. In this hour of suffering my heart
shares your grief as well as your consolation in learning of
the last moments of so precious and cherished a life. It

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

appears that the Reverend Fathers Ardus and O'Reilly as-
sisted him during his last illness and received his last sigh,
and that they were greatly edified by his truly Christian
virtues. You will have the consolation of hearing the de-
tails from Reverend Father O'Reilly, who accompanied the
remains of the dear departed to their last resting place. He
has also brought letters for you from your dear family. We
have already fulfilled the sweet obligation of having Masses
offered for the repose of the soul of your dear father, and
we trust that he now enjoys the happiness of the Blessed."

Mother Hardey kept this sorrow buried in her own heart,
not wishing to burden her daughters with it. She merely
asked for suffrages to be offered for a departed soul, and
it was only after she had left Cuba that the religious learned
of her loss.

When the new foundation had been ^satisfactorily or-
ganized she bade adieu to her daughters and sailed for New
York, accompanied by four postulants from Havana.
Shortly after her return to Manhattanville she made her an-
nual retreat. Her spiritual director, Reverend Father Gres-
selin, probably realized the need she had of complete rest for
soul and body, so he wrote her the following counsels,
which were no doubt obediently observed : " In regard to
your retreat, I believe you must absolutely follow the plan
of the last. The retreat is a time of sweetness and peace,
not of agitation and sadness, as too many of your previous
retreats have been. This one must be a continual act of
charity, in which you will taste the suavity of the Hearts of
Jesus and Mary. Take no particular resolution. In passing
eight days with Jesus and Mary, your soul will receive an
increase of light and strength sufficient for all future needs.
If God should will you to give Him something special, He
will speak to your heart with clearness. Whatever is doubt-
ful or cloudy comes not from Him. Do not be surprised if
I hold very little to your having fixed hours for anything.
I prefer even that you should not fix any. I ask of you

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CIVIL WAR IN THE UNITED STATES

something far better, eight entire days in the midst of the
Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Do not leave them to make
reflections on yourself, forget yourself entirely and live and
breathe for those Sacred Hearts. Such a retreat will be a
delightful and a divine relaxation.

" Read only the Canticle of Solomon, but read it atten-
tively. There you will see the ineffable love of Jesus for
Mary, and Mary for Jesus. That is the proper subject and
proper sense of the Canticle. Have neither pen nor paper
in the room which you select for your solitude, that you may
not be tempted to try to write. I approve strongly that you
choose the Tribune. The beautiful picture of Mary which
you will find there before your eyes will radiate much light
and joy into your heart. Never forget the extraordinary
grace that was given you on that memorable eighth of De-
cember, when you understood and were fully convinced
that you must go to the Heart of Jesus through the Heart
of Mary. It was a grace of choice, in the sense that few
persons receive it; but it is not extraordinary in the fact
that God wills to give it to many souls, but only a few find
the way which leads to it. In your case it was a recompense
for your earnestness and zeal in making Mary known and
loved."

After a few more personal allusions to the special graces
with which Mother Hardey had been favored, he concludes
his letter with the following injunction : " During May I
wish you to give an instruction every week to all your
children of the community, postulants included, and another
instruction to all your children in the school. If they cannot
be assembled together, then go to each division in turn,
even if you have to speak each night about the Blessed Vir-
gin during twenty minutes or half an hour. There will be
no great harm in that ; rather there will be no harm at all.
The preparation will cost you nothing. You will speak
from the abundance of a heart that breathes only for Mary,
and because not studied, what you will say will be all the

247

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

more valuable. I except only the case in which it might
be too fatiguing, but only that. I would be pleased to have
your retreat begin April 22, to close with the dawn of the
month of May."

Mother Hardey faithfully carried out the programme laid
down for her, and not satisfied with the instructions which
were given them, her daughters sought to profit likewise
by their Mother's touching instructions to the children. The
love of our Blessed Lady was carried to enthusiasm, and
her altars were besieged by both religious and pupils, in
prayerful love and supplication for those near and dear to
them. We regret not being able to find any of the valuable
notes which were taken on some special conferences, but
we can believe that the suggestions of Father Gresselin
formed the subject of them.

The following extracts from one of his letters will be
equally beneficial to Mother Hardey's daughters of the
present day: "Here is another point upon which I insist
very strongly, and I desire you to insist upon it strongly
also. Cultivate the natural virtues in your children, that is
to say, let the mistresses in all the convents study to give
noble ideas upon everything to their children, and let them
pursue without relaxation everything small or mean that
they remark in them. Develop generosity in the children,
that grand virtue of the heart, which drives out all selfish-
ness and cupidity. Let them ever maintain a grand, in-
flexible uprightness in their dealings with others. Let
them learn how to combine the independence of a soul that
is free with the most amiable modesty and simplicity. I
really do not know why, but it is an historical fact, that the
elevation of woman has always been the infallible sign and
the measure of the whole race. Woman is the safeguard of
virtue, and of the dignity of the family. This is her privi-
lege which she has received from God. It is also a fact
that vice in a woman is more shocking than in a man.
Tenderness, goodness, devotedness, nobility, purity, are

248

1 Former House at Atlantic City, N. J.

2 Arch Street Convent, Philadelphia

CIVIL WAR IN THE UNITED STATES

virtues that belong to her, and when she does not possess
them, she falls much lower than the man in whom they are
lacking.

" Man is more active, woman more contemplative. Man
acts in the world and upsets nature. Woman has more
heavenly instincts and rises more towards God. All this is
not the effect of prejudice, it is founded upon nature and
comes from God Himself. Let nothing be pardoned in the
children, absolutely nothing, which betrays the most im-
perceptible degree of baseness. Now the most efficacious
means of developing their nature is to penetrate them
with true ideas of the supernatural life ; for this I have
nothing to say, and in regard to this point of view nothing
is omitted in your houses. But in regard to the direct per-
fecting of the natural, there may be occasionally a little re-
missness. Combat energetically all melancholy, weariness,
disgust, all that comes forth from the soil of nature. An
ardent devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary is the
assured preservative against these noxious weeds. If your
religious understand the first elements of their vocation,
they will always be in the holy inebriation of enthusiasm.
Voluntary captives of Jesus and Mary, consuming your
days in their service and love, cultivating the flowers with
which Jesus and Mary will one day crown themselves, what
more can you desire, what is still lacking to you? If your
houses are not a paradise, they are nothing, they have no
raison d'etre!

" I said above something very honorable about woman.
Let us now say a word about the defects of her character.
She is reproached with a mixture of littlenesses, vanities,
jealousies, meannesses, etc., and it is said that she is more
accessible to these than man. It is not that man is exempt
from these defects. He has them in a higher degree, and
because in a higher degree, they change their names imme-
diately. They are called in him, hatred, vengeance, rapine,
treason, etc. Now in regard to these defects, it is abso-

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

lutely necessary that your religious should be free from
them entirely. They must rise to the highest level, like
those straight and sublime plants which receive immediately
from heaven the dew and light which give them life. Let
them be very attentive and very sensitive in noticing these
same imperfections in the children, as well as indefatigable
in correcting them.

" Here is another point which I do not wish to omit.
Dissipate beforehand the terror of the children in regard
to the last Sacraments. If you do not do that now, no one
else will do it later. It is necessary in their tender years
to give them a contrary impression. I notice that you are
a little afraid to frighten them by speaking of death, that
you try to hide from them the knowledge that death has
come to take an angel from your house. It would be far
better to let them know of his approaching visit, that they
may be prepared for it, and profit by his coming to entertain
them with the happiness which death brings, of being united
with our Sovereign Good, and of the efficacy of the last
Sacraments, which inundate the soul with consolation.
I mention this to you. See if there is not something to re-
form in this matter. You see I have not spared you. Per-
haps I am meddling in what does not concern me. If what
I have written comes from God, He will know how to render
it fruitful ; if not, there is no harm done save waste of time
in writing. My one desire is to do good, and I believe if
there is any to be found in these pages you will put it to
profit."

We will conclude this chapter with a few more extracts
from Father Gresselin's letters, feeling assured they will not
fail to interest our readers : " Do not give up your subscrip-
tion to ' Brownson's Review/ His last number has a num-
ber of pitiable sentences, but let us not forget the eminent
services which he has rendered to religion and those which
he is yet able to render. If the good man is wrong on many
points, those who pursue and abandon him are still more

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guilty. It is thus that poor human nature acts. We forget
so easily former merits, considering only present faults.
I consider it as an ignoble narrowness of mind to give up
one's subscription, because for once, by chance, he was mis-
taken. And who is there in this world that does not make
a mistake? Who is there that has not his days of darkness
and misery upon earth? The human heart is too often
hard, ungrateful and selfish. Oh, let us guard ourselves
carefully from these shameful defects."

In another letter : " Alas, Madame, human miseries are
to be found everywhere. When anything disagreeable hap-
pens, you begin, at once, to suffer and to complain to the
good God, perhaps you forget to simply pray. Pray then
and the good God will hear you more readily than if you
complained to Him. Where can you seek refuge in your
difficult moments if not in the Heart of Jesus crucified?
Patience then, Madame, and see in all vexations the ador-
able will of Jesus, and calmly submit to His guidance, which
is always so full of love for you and yours." So anxious was
her spiritual director to see her perfect in all things, that
writing in reference to a remark that she had made that she
" had given two religious to the Western Vicariate," he
says : " Banish, I beg of you, far from your mind the
thought that you can give your religious, were it even the
youngest novice, to other Mother Vicars or Vicariates!
Merchandise is given or exchanged in this way, but not
reasonable beings."

It was decided that the novice referred to in the
following letter should be sent home, as her health appeared
too delicate for the religious life. Mother Hardey had
placed her at Eden Hall, hoping that the mild air there
would arrest the progress of lung trouble with which she
was threatened, but it seemed that the patient was
doomed. Her father, Professor Aiken of Baltimore,
was notified to come for his daughter, but the very
morning of his arrival at Eden a letter was received from

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Mother Hardey giving permission for the novice to make
her vows. The prayers and pleadings of that faithful soul
had been graciously heard by our Blessed Lady, under
whose statue she had placed a little note, begging that she
might die in the Society of the Sacred Heart rather than
return to the world. Father Gresselin writes : " Lately
Father Ardia received two letters from Madame Ambrosia
Aiken. In the first she tells him she is going to make her
vows, in the second that she has made them. I really
doubt if two more admirable letters could be written.
Father Ardia gave them to me to read, but I shall take care
not to return them to him. What a happy inspiration you
had to keep that angelic soul ! May the good God send you
a number of subjects like her."

We may add that Madame Aiken realized all the hopes
that had been founded on her. She lived nearly five years
longer at Eden Hall, where she passed as an angel of peace
and charity, working and suffering with all the ardor and
love of a soul which sought and longed for nothing but her
God. The motto which she had placed on her desk and
which was constantly before her eyes, expressed the senti-
ments of her heart : " Angels may love God better, but they
can never suffer for Him." Madame Aiken was only one
of the numerous band of grateful daughters of Mother Har-
dey who were indebted to her for their happiness in the
religious life and their blessedness in eternity.

252

CHAPTER XXI.

DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES — EIGHTH GENERAL COUNCIL
— DEATH OF MOTHER BARAT — 1864-1867.

For several months Mother Hardey had the sorrow of
realizing that the end was drawing near for the father and
friend whom she held in tender and grateful veneration.
It was evident that the illustrious Archbishop Hughes was
hastening to his eternal home. His last public utterance
was heard by an infuriated mob, that, on account of the
Conscription Act in July, 1863, made New York a scene of
lawlessness and bloodshed. The event has passed into his-
tory. It has a mournful interest for us, because of its asso-
ciation with the great prelate, who, through his long career,
was an able champion of civil and religious liberty. The
city authorities appealed to him to assume the office of
peacemaker, and though at the risk of his life, the arch-
bishop fearlessly assented. He caused a notice to be pla-
carded throughout the city, inviting the rioters to meet him
at his residence. " I am not able," he said, " to visit you,
owing to rheumatism in my limbs; that is no reason
why you should not visit me, in your whole strength. I
shall have a speech prepared for you. There is abundant
space for the meeting around my house, and I can address
you from the corner of the balcony. If I should be unable to
stand during the delivery, you will permit me to address
you seated, my voice is much stronger than my limbs."
The invitation was accepted, and for more than an hour he
addressed more than six thousand men, who listened with
respectful attention, while he gently but forcibly urged them
to refrain from violence and return to their homes. " They
cheered me all the time," said the archbishop in describing
the event, " and went home in the most peaceable manner.

253

Many of those who were Catholics lingered around to get
my blessing, after which they soon dispersed."

The strong voice hushed the storm, and then lapsed into
silence forever. The archbishop's health continued to de-
cline during the autumn. When in December he was told
that the end was near, he made no further reference to busi-
ness, but thought only of preparing to give the last account
of his stewardship. He awaited with calmness the hour of
his summons, for he had no fear of going forth to meet the
Creator, whom he had faithfully sought from the days of
his youth. On January 4, 1864, he passed away, leaving to
his flock the sacred memory of a champion who had bravely
defended the stronghold of the Church during the troubled
days of the nineteenth century. His death cast a gloom
over the whole country, but nowhere was it more sensibly
felt than at Manhattanville. He had been Mother Hardey's
prudent adviser and truest friend for over twenty years, and
his paternal goodness and unflagging interest in the welfare
of her religious family had animated her courage in many
an hour of trial.

Archbishop McCloskey, his successor, was no stranger
to her, and she knew that in him she would ever find a wise
and prudent counsellor, although the strong arm upon
which she had leaned with so much confidence had been
withdrawn forever. After his installation, the first visit of
the new archbishop was to Manhattanville, and when he
entered the convent, attended by a large number of the
clergy, Mother Hardey knelt at his feet and reverently pre-
sented to him the keys of the house. He graciously returned
them, saying : " It would be impossible to find a more trust-
worthy custodian, in both a temporal and spiritual sense.
Years of devotion, of labor, of signal success have crowned
your guardianship, and I trust that many more may be
added to those, so justly celebrated on earth, so rich in
merit for heaven." The principal feature of the reception
given by the pupils was an allegorical representation, in

DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

which angels brought from heaven flowers so arranged as
to form the name of John, the Shepherd appointed to guard
the little flock. This tribute was followed by an address,
and the presentation of a crozier wreathed with flowers.

In response, the archbishop spoke of the greeting as " a
welcome tendered in the eloquent language of poetry and
prose, the melodious language of music and song, the silent
yet expressive language of fresh and fragrant flowers, flow-
ers brought from Heaven by angels and strewn at my feet
by little less than angel hands." Then referring to the ad-
dress and the tribute paid to Archbishop Hughes, he dwelt
at length upon the virtues of his illustrious predecessor.
" I love," he said, " to see your devoted remembrance of
the Shepherd now passed away. Though conspicuous in
the eyes of the world, he endeared himself to you by his
tender, affectionate heart, permitting you to cluster around
him, as you would around a beloved parent. Indeed, I know
of no title which this great prelate cherished more than that
of the devoted and loving father of his little children. Oh !
what a pleasure it is to fly from the cares and anxieties of a
great, though sacred, responsibility, and find oneself in
the midst of cheerful, happy children. Our Blessed Lord
delighted to be with the little ones. Is it not just, then, that
those who hold His place should feel it a privilege to be
among the little lambs of His fold? " Alluding to the flower
entwined crozier, his Grace said : " It is only in the Sacred
Heart that the crozier is wreathed with flowers. Ah! yes,
in the outer world, it is too often encircled with sharp, cruel
thorns. Indeed, dear children, I would rather carry the
crozier here than in the grand Cathedral of New York, if
you will only promise me that it will always be crowned
with flowers."

Yielding to the request of the archbishop, Reverend
Father Hitzelberger, S.J., addressed the pupils: "It was
an old Roman usage," he said, " for an honored guest to be
accompanied to the banquet hall by a person called his

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

umbra, a mere shadow of the splendor which preceded him.
In view of his unsubstantiality, what can a shadow do?
In the present instance he yields to obedience, and the mute
speaks. If permitted me, as one of an older generation, to
speak in memoriam of the just and good who have gone
to their rest, I will beg of you to join to the names of the
past and present another John, who was father to both, the
venerable John Dubois, from whose fountain of knowledge
John Hughes and John McCloskey drew their first lessons
of piety and wisdom. Let the three Johns be a garland
around your hearts, that you may testify in the future your
appreciation of the past, by a faithful correspondence to the
numberless graces constantly within your reach. Let me
also express my delight, in union with your archbishop, at
the dignity and grace displayed in your beautiful entertain-
ment, as well as the modesty and simplicity always char-
acteristic of the pupils of the Sacred Heart."

This memorable event was soon followed by Mother
Hardey's departure for France, to assist at the Eighth Gen-
eral Council of the Society. She was notified of the ap-
proaching convocation by the following letter, the last she
received from the venerable Foundress:

" If no extraordinary event takes place in the Old or the
New World, we shall hold our general Council either in
May or June. If God gives me life until then, I shall have
the much desired consolation of seeing you once more.
Let us hope that Mother Jouve may be able to accompany
you. What a privation not to hear from this dear Mother !
We are at a loss to know whether she is even alive ! How
earnestly we pray that these calamitous times may soon end.
Ah! dear Aloysia, how many frightful things have I wit-
nessed since my young days, and of how many of them I
have been the victim. How much these remembrances help
one to become detached from the things of this world ! One
hope alone enables me to keep up ; it is the joy of being per-
mitted to labor for the salvation of even one soul ; and there

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

are so many on the verge of destruction. Let us then steer
our little bark courageously to the end. The Heart of Jesus
is guarding us, because we desire to save souls. The
more useless and unworthy we are, the more we should
rely upon Divine assistance. The great Saint Paul said,
' When I am weak, then am I strong ! ' After this blessed
Convocation, your Mother will be ready to say her Nunc
Dimittis. Yet she must always add, Fiat Voluntas Dei!

" While awaiting this desired moment, let us redouble
our efforts in preparing and helping souls to correspond to
the designs of God, training them with zeal and constancy
in the practice of their religious obligations. In this age,
when everything tends to freedom and the enjoyment of
life, how difficult it is to obtain even from souls of good will
the obedience and self-denial necessary in the spiritual life.
Yet how can we be true religious of the Sacred Heart with-
out the constant practice of mortification, which must be-
gin in the Novitiate, grow through the years of aspirantship,
and attain its full development in the professed, of whom it
should be the distinguishing mark until death."

Referring to a superior who had asked to be relieved of
her charge, she says : " I hope she will never again plead
to be put in a corner, there to prepare for death. A religious
of the Sacred Heart should die at her post, working to the
end of her life, if God gives her strength."

In the month of June Mother Hardey embarked for
France, accompanied by Mothers Jouve and Trincano. The
Council was opened on the i/th of June, and was presided
over by the venerable Superior General. It was evident that
she was adding the last links to the golden chain of her
long and laborious mission. " Let us quicken our pace,"
she said, " for when the sun is declining it brightens with
its rays a greater number of countries than at noon." She
was adding fresh fuel to the fires of zeal burning in the
hearts of those around her, and shedding upon them the
rays of her wisdom to illumine the Institute in every land.

17 257

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Several measures were adopted by the Council in reference
to the American missions. The convents in Canada, St.
John, Halifax, London and Detroit were erected into a
vicariate, of which Mother Trincano was named vicar.
Mother Hardey was left in charge of the houses in the
eastern part of the United States and in Cuba. The South-
ern Vicariate was likewise divided, Mother Galwey being
appointed Vice-Vicar of Missouri and Mother Shannon
Vice- Vicar in Louisiana. Mother Jouve was henceforth to
remain in France.

Before the close of the Council the aged Foundress en-
treated the Councillors to accept her resignation. Their
refusal led to the appointment of a vicar-general in the per-
son of Mother Goetz, to aid her in the general government
of the Society. " By this nomination," says the historian
of Mother Barat, " the past was linked with the future, and
what the Foundress had not done, but still wished to do,
was now decided and described in documents, which have
left to her successors the simple task of carrying out her
wishes."

The Council closed on July 21, the eve of St. Mag-
dalen's feast. The pupils of the rue de Varennes gave
an entertainment in honor of the Mother General. Besides
the usual good wishes, they presented her with fifteen pas-
toral staffs, entwined with flowers, typical of the fifteen
vicariates of the Society, all being linked to the one which
designated the true shepherdess of the flock. She distributed
them to the superiors surrounding her, who represented the
three thousand five hundred religious, then forming what
she loved to call her " little family of the Sacred Heart."
(Life of Mother Barat, Vol. II., page 383.) All felt that it
was the pause before the final separation, and as they
listened to the touching words addressed by Mother Barat
to the children she loved so well, the silent language of
tears revealed how deep was the emotion of every heart. A
few weeks later Mother Hardey knelt at the feet of her

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

venerated Mother to receive her farewell blessing for her-
self and her American daughters. Then, accompanied by
Mother Trincano, she embarked on the Scotia and arrived
at Manhattanville on the 8th of September, Feast of the
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin.

The joy of welcome was clouded by the news of the
death of Rev. Father Gresselin, S.J., her saintly director.
He died at Fordham on the Feast of the Assumption, August
15, 1864, after a lingering illness, borne with the love and
fortitude of a saint. A few moments before he expired, he
sent his blessing to his spiritual daughters of Manhattan-
ville. Immediately after the evening office, the whole com-
munity made the Way of the Cross for the repose of the
dear departed, though all felt that he was already pleading
for them before the throne of that Immaculate Queen whom
he had loved so intensely that he could never speak or write
without seeking to inflame hearts with her love. Mother
Hardey felt his loss keenly, but her grief found expression
only in prayer and generous suffrages for the venerated
deceased.

A few days after her return she made known the de-
cisions of the late Council, and spoke to her associates of
the touching examples of virtue given by their saintly
Foundress. She referred again and again to Mother Barat's
exhortations on humility, charity, the practice of poverty,
and the observance of the Rule of Silence as the means best
adapted to keep up the spirit of the Institute in its primitive
fervor. " Our Mother Foundress," she said, " holds so
strongly to silence, especially to the solemn silence after
night prayers, that when questioned about the necessity of
sometimes speaking during it, her reply was, ' Under no
circumstances should three words be spoken, when two
will suffice."

On the 8th of October we find Mother Hardey at Eden
Hall, where she gave her daughters a touching conference,

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

some extracts of which we quote from the journal of the
house :

" You all know the object of the Eighth General
Council of our little Society, which closed a few months
ago, and for whose success you prayed so fervently and
perseveringly. Like all our Councils, it was held for the
purpose of examining whether any abuses had crept into
the various convents during the intervening years, but our
Mother Foundress says this meeting had the special pur-
pose of consolidating and strengthening the work of all the
preceding ones. In the preparatory retreat which we made,
the Rev. Father Provincial of the Jesuits constantly re-
iterated this text, ' Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven.'
Seek God first in all your undertakings and He will supply
the rest. I repeat to you the same injunction. Let the Mis-
tress of Class seek first to strengthen her pupils in solid
piety, for science, human science, is only a secondary aim.
If you are Mistress of Parlor, show by your religious ex-
terior that you are not of this world; evince no idle curi-
osity in regard to what is happening outside the convent
walls ; prove by your conversation that you have little in-
terest in anything save the advancement of the kingdom of
God. Let your spiritual exercises ever hold the first place
in your esteem ; give to their faithful accomplishment your
first and principal attention. Consider your other daily
duties as secondary.

" At our meetings we examined the dispositions of the
religious of the present day, and compared them with the
members of earlier times. We came to the conclusion that,
in many cases, the spirit of generosity and self-sacrifice
which so eminently characterized the latter no longer exists,
at least in so striking a degree. There is at present a tend-
ency to self-seeking, a certain dread of self-immolation, an
inclination to complain of having too much to do, instead
of offering and desiring to do more than we are required.
We found, too, that the spirit of humility is giving place

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

to the spirit of pride, and in a few cases — but, thank God,
they are the exception — to a spirit of ambition. Our Con-
stitutions say that ' each one must consider herself the last
of all and be content with the lowest employments,' but now
some consider first places desirable, and they are not pleased
when they are put in subordinate offices. Our Mother Gen-
eral says that her greatest personal trials are caused by the
want of humble submission in those who seek themselves
in place of God, and seem to ignore the obligation of deny-
ing themselves, taking up their cross, and following our
Divine Lord in the practice of those virtues of which He
gave us the example from His birth to His death on the
Cross. It has been remarked, that as soon as aspirants have
made their profession, or novices have taken their vows,
they become less submissive to authority ; hence, in future,
no one can be admitted to profession or first vows without
the express consent of the Mother General. Hitherto, in
foreign countries, the decision rested with the local coun-
sellors, but facilities of communication with first superiors
render this concession unnecessary and undesirable."

Other points of discipline and maternal recommendations
were treated of in this memorable conference. Like her
Divine Master, Mother Hardey went about doing good.
She encouraged the project of establishing a day school in
the city of Philadelphia, and gave her sanction to the plan
of a new wing at Eden Hall, to be erected as soon as pos-
sible. She later visited the convents of Kenwood and
Rochester, renewing the fervor of her daughters and ani-
mating their zeal in behalf of souls. She had the painful
task of reconciling the communities in Canada and the prov-
inces to their withdrawal from her jurisdiction. In some
places the ecclesiastical authorities protested against the
change of government, but then, as ever, a brief explanation
on her part inclined minds and hearts to the belief that wis-
dom had dictated the measures adopted for the greater good
of all concerned.

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

At " the Sault," she opened a novitiate for the new
vicariate, having brought six of the Manhattanville novices
to form the nucleus of this important undertaking. From
Montreal she went to London and Detroit, inspiring in both
houses her own spirit of resignation and submission to the
Divine Will. The Superior of Detroit, Mother Eugenie
Desmarquest, felt it her duty to represent to the Mother
General the difficulties of that house in regard to the Beau-
bien heirs, and that, in her opinion, it required Mother Har-
dey's knowledge and prudent management of the question
at issue to cope with the situation. To this request Mother
Barat acceded, and requested Mother Hardey to keep the
Detroit convent under her jurisdiction.

On her return to Manhattanville, Mother Hardey de-
voted herself in a special manner to the training of the
novices. Her conferences and individual counsels filled
them with ardent zeal for their spiritual progress. Once
when a passing comment was made on the fervor of her
" white veils," she said : " Ah, t'lis should be the abode of
fervent, generous souls. A thought came to me the other
day, which I will repeat to you. Adam and Eve are said to
have conversed familiarly with God in the terrestrial para-
dise. While you were kneeling before me in the chapel, I
said to myself, the heart of every novice should be a para-
dise, wherein Jesus may enter and converse familiarly with
His Spouse. If Our Lord does not take delight in the heart
of a novice of the Sacred Heart, where can He do so? "

At the beginning of Advent, she said to them : " Make
your preparation for Christmas an active prayer, a prayer
of fidelity, of silence, of mortification. Exercise your zeal in
the performance of your daily duties, whether it be to
sweep a room, to wash dishes, or to accomplish some task
in harmony with your natural inclinations. Let your fast
consist before all else, in denying your passions. Let the
excitable control their impulses, the tepid become more
fervent, the slothful more active, the self-seeking more de-

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

voted, the procrastinating more prompt to obey the voice of
duty."

Speaking of fervor she said : " Fervor, like sanctity, is
not measured by time. Though you must give to prayer
the time prescribed by rule it is not the minutes that God
counts, but the amount of love that you put into your
prayers." She then pointed out the means they should em-
ploy to mortify the imagination, the memory, the affections,
and above all the will, so that they might prepare in each
heart a palace for the new birth of the King of Kings. On
Christmas Eve she made the words, " He came unto His
own and His own received Him not," the text of a very
impressive conference. " In Bethlehem," she said, " all was
provided for the accommodation of the rich and the great,
but no one thought of Joseph, of Mary, of the Incarnate
Word. There was no room for them. No room in His
own city for the expected Messias. Our hearts are moved
with sorrow and indignation as we read these words ; yet
how often may they be applied to us. Jesus presents Him-
self at the door of our hearts, and our actions give answer,
' there is no room.' Our pride, selfishness, tepidity, jealousy,
low aims and natural motives cry out, ' there is no room ! '
No room for the meek and humble Babe of Bethlehem ! Yet
the soul of a Religious of the Sacred Heart should be the
glorious city, the sure refuge, the peaceful dwelling of her
Divine Spouse. And such would be the case, if we had the
true spirit of our sublime vocation."

In the early part of December, 1864, Mother Hardey had
the pleasure of forming the acquaintance of her stepmother,
Mrs. Hardey, and her daughter, a child of thirteen years.
They had come from Louisiana, and were going to reside
on the old family estate of Rosecroft in St. Mary's County,
Maryland, which had been settled on them by Mr. Hardey.
Two of their former slaves, old Washington and his wife,
Caroline, had clung to their mistress and were accompany-
ing her to Rosecroft. On their arrival Mother Hardey

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

noticed that the aged negress was too lightly clad. She left
the parlor and soon returned with a shawl which she
wrapped around the old woman's shoulders. Touched by
her goodness, old Washington broke forth into words of
praise and admiration : " O Miss Mary, de Lord bress you !
You just like ole Massa! You his true chile sure! "

Mr. Hardey's second wife was Miss Elizabeth Millard
of Baltimore, a gentle attractive lady, whom Mother Har-
dey always treated with filial respect and delicate considera-
tion. Pauline, the daughter of this second marriage, became
later on the object of her most affectionate solicitude.

On the 1 5th of February, 1865, Mother Hardey sailed for
Cuba. Before leaving Manhattanville, she gave as practice
to her daughters : " Great fidelity to community exercises,
and the serious practice of meekness and humility." More-
over recommending vigilance in regard to the pupils, she
recalled the words of St. Francis de Sales, " More flies may
be caught by a drop of honey, than by a barrel of vinegar "
and added, " you may do more good to a child by one kind
word, than by a whole day of scolding." The times were
critical and there existed grave necessity for gentle firmness
in the school.

After strengthening and confirming her Cuban families
in their arduous labors for souls, she returned to Manhat-
tanville in time to take part in the offices of Holy Week.
Good Friday, the I4th of April, 1865, is memorable as the
date of a tragedy that thrilled the nation with horror, the
assassination of President Lincoln. The announcement
reached Manhattanville as the pupils were leaving for the
Easter holidays. Those who remained at the convent were
principally the children of Southern families ; and the wise
superior, in order to check party feeling, prolonged the
vacation until the national demonstrations of mourning
were over. She further gave orders that the pupils who
returned wearing mourning badges should lay them aside
before entering the class room.

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

In one instance, the command was disregarded. The
daughter of a noted politician (Horace Greeley) refused
to remove her badge, so it was quietly unpinned by one of
the mistresses. The act was considered an insult to patriot-
ism. Loud protests were heard at the following recreation,
and two inexperienced mistresses tried to pacify the
aggrieved parties by their silent sympathy. This circum-
stance only intensified the excitement. Mother Hardey's
firmness, however, soon restored tranquillity. She called to
her room the mistresses engaged in the school at the time
of the uproar, and inquired of each in turn what had taken
place. In some of the departments there had been no dis-
turbance whatever. " I thought not," said Mother Hardey,
" the children are quick to discover who are the political
religious." This was her only reproof to the imprudent
mistresses, who humbly begged her pardon, and asked what
they should do when the children asked them to which side
they belonged. " Tell them," she said, " that you belong
to the Sacred Heart."

Mother Hardey's great prudence and gentle firmness
secured for Manhattanville an ever increasing prosperity.
It is not, therefore, surprising, that the fame of the academy
was associated in the public mind with the gifted superior.
The following tribute to her worth appeared in a New York
newspaper of 1865 : " Few persons have been more instru-
mental under the blessing of God, than Madame Hardey, in
propagating conventual life and conventual education in
America. Her administrative talent, strong good sense, and
that discernment of spirit, so needful in determining re-
ligious vocations, combine in her character, to adapt her
for her work and for her age ; and when the Catholic his-
torian comes to gather up the material of our period, a con-
spicuous chapter will recount the works of Madame Hardey
and her convents."

Mother Hardey was wholly absorbed in promoting the
welfare of her religious families, when in the month of June,

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

1865, she received the sad news of the death of the venerated
Foundress. At the first announcement of the threatened
danger, she assembled her daughters, and gave expression
to her grief in a touching conference, of which we give the
following extracts : " You know already, the contents of
the three circular letters which have brought us the saddest
news, for no calamity could be greater than the loss of cur
sainted Mother. Although our fears are not yet confirmed,
I feel that on Ascension day, our Mother ended her pilgrim-
age here below. When one that is dear to us has left us,
it is natural and at the same time consoling, to recall her
words and her desires. Let us do so now. We know that
our Very Reverend Mother Barat was a model of every
virtue, but that which characterized her, and was her dis-
tinguishing mark, was her humility. She demonstrated its
necessity at the last council, and made it a duty, so to speak,
for the Mother Vicars to inculcate it in their different
families. ' Remind them/ she said, ' that with humility they
can do all things for the Glory of God, while without it,
they can do nothing. We may then be confident, that the
last wish of our Mother is, that we should practice this vir-
tue, and I am certain, that if she were able to speak in her
last moments, her recommendation to the entire Society,
would have been an exhortation to humility." Then point-
ing out to her daughters the means of acquiring this virtue,
Mother Hardey urged them to labor seriously to overcome
the obstacles, reminding them that one proud religious may
sometimes prevent the blessing of God upon a whole house.
Mother Barat went to her reward on the Feast of the
Ascension, May 25, 1865, in the eighty-sixth year of her age.
On the Sunday previous, as she entered the recreation room
where all her daughters were assembled, she said : " I have
come to spend a little time with you to-day, because on
Thursday I must leave you for Heaven ! " Was this a
prophecy? At any rate, the next day, Monday, was to be an
eventful one. The venerable Mother rose, as usual at five

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

o'clock, made her morning meditation, assisted at Mass and
prolonged her prayer in the chapel until half past eight. She
went back to her room and was quietly reading her letters,
when the Sister brought in her breakfast. She was
about to begin, when she said to the Sister, " I am not well
this morning," then, holding her head in her hands, she ex-
claimed, " Oh, my head, my head ! " Courageous to the end,
she, at first, refused to go to bed, but was soon obliged to
yield to it. When a blister was suggested, she answered,
" You would do well." These were her last words, her
tongue lost the power of utterance and the physicians ascer-
tained that there was congestion of the brain, which nothing
could relieve.

During the days which followed, she seemed to retain
consciousness. At the administration of the last Sacra-
ments when she received the Holy Viaticum, a beau-
tiful expression of heavenly fervor illumined her counte-
nance. She answered the questions addressed by a pressure
of her hands quickly and energetically made, and it was
evident that her soul had its entire freedom, and, in con-
sequence, the full merit of the sacrifice she was offering to
God. When asked to bless the Society her hand was raised
with an eagerness which moved all to tears, but when her
physician asked, "Will you not also bless your doctors?"
she made no sign. Humble to the end, she did not feel that
it belonged to her to bless anyone but her own daughters.

On the anniversary of the day on which her Divine
Spouse had left this earth, she went to that eternal rest,
where thirteen hundred and sixty eight of her daughters
were waiting to lead her to the Heavenly Bridegroom,
whom she longed to see face to face. The loss of her saintly
Mother, who had ever been a pillar of light in guiding her
labors, was the greatest sorrow of Mother Hardey's life.
Some weeks later she was called to Paris to take part in the
election of a new Mother General. Before leaving she made
the necessary preparations for the opening of a day school

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

in Philadelphia, by request of Archbishop Wood, and also
of the Children of Mary, who for several years had formed
a numerous and zealous congregation, under the direction
of Rev. Father Barbelin, S.J., meeting once a year at Eden
Hall. She sailed on the gih of August, with Mothers Gal-
wey and Shannon, and a novice from Manhattanville. We
are indebted to the pen of the last mentioned for details of
the voyage and the sojourn in Paris. The letter is dated
from Amiens, where the travellers stopped for a short time.
" At Amiens, dear, delightful Amiens," writes the novice,
" we received the warmest welcome. I do not believe there
is another house in the Society like it for genuine kindness
and simplicity. Mother Roger is superior, and Mother
knew her well, so it was a meeting of old friends, and every-
one seemed to vie with one another as to who should be the
kindest. Every inch here is hallowed ground. Unfortu-
nately they had to demolish the original house, so long
sanctified by the presence of our Mother Foundress, but
they have done their best to preserve all the recollections of
the past. There is an exquisite chapel built where our
Mother was first named Superior General. It is entire-
ly white and gold, and the altar of white marble with gold
ornamentation is the most simple and beautiful I have ever
seen. The stained glass windows casting a warm rich glow
over the whole, relieve the chapel of any effect of coldness.
The statue of Notre Dame du Berceau is lovely. It stands
in an alcove behind the altar, and on either side are St. Jo-
seph and St. Aloysius. The little tribune, facing the altar,
is upheld by two colossal angels, everything being, as I
have said, of white and gold. In the wall is a large white
marble tablet, just sent from Rome, beautifully set in a
border of colored marbles, with a Latin inscription in gilt
letters, telling that on this spot, Madeleine Louise Sophie
Barat, Foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart, was
named Superior General, on the 25th of November, A. D.
1802.

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

" The morning after our arrival we had Mass in this
cherished and holy spot. It is only on great occasions that
they have Mass here, but the Superior obtained this privi-
lege for our Mother. At first this heavenly little sanctuary
was called Notre Dame des Souvenirs, but at its consecra-
tion the Archbishop of Amiens in his sermon said, that every
house might have such a chapel, as each one had its own
'souvenirs/ but not another one could claim to be the cradle
of the Society, therefore the title must be ' Notre Dame du
Berceau.' On the 25th of every month all the religious as-
semble there to recite the Miserere and Te Deum, and it is
there that the renewal of vows takes place. .. .Everything
we saw delighted us, and Reverend Mother could not con-
gratulate herself sufficiently, for having decided to visit this
hallowed place."

In alluding to the arrival in Paris, the writer says, " We
found the Custom House officers very polite. They inquired
if we had any cigars, and were so much amused by Rev-
erend Mother's answer, ' I forgot to bring some,' that they
returned the keys without opening a trunk." Again re-
ferring to Mother Hardey she says : " If in America I
always thought her a saint, I am sure of it now. Her
humility and self-forgetfulness lead her to seek always the
last place and to act as if she was the least of all. She
misses our Mother Foundress very much. I think she feels
her loss all day long. Every morning she goes to her little
room to pray, and I love to kneel just behind her, for I think
our venerated Mother cannot fail to listen to me, when I am
near one of her dearest and holiest daughters. Reverend
Mother prays for everyone while there, and with the great-
est fervor, so wrapt, so intense, that it seems as if she was
in sensible communication with our departed Mother. She
says that she tells her all her troubles, all her difficulties,
and her projects, and then she is satisfied ; and truly, when
she leaves the room, the peace on her countenance is
heavenly."

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

The little room alluded to was the apartment which had
been occupied by Mother Barat for some years before her
death. The American novice gives the following descrip-
tion of the spot, now so sacred to Mother Barat's daughters :
" Where the bed formerly stood, is a simple altar of white
and gold, the tabernacle surmounted by a large gilt crucifix,
and above, a painting of the Sacred Heart. The furniture,
with the exception of a few kneeling chairs, is just as it was
during her lifetime. Her little table and footstool, her chair
and priedieu, are all there. On the mantel stands her little
statue of the Blessed Virgin, with a smaller one of St. Jo-
seph, and two little vases of flowers on either side; while
above, hangs a colored photograph of our venerated Mother
herself. Her cross and ring, her little brass crucifix, the
constant companion of her faithful life, which never left her
hand during her illness, the spoon in which she received the
Holy Viaticum are framed in a glass case, together with
the white wreath which crowned her, and the branch of
lilies she held in her hand after death. Do you know that
our Mother has already worked several miracles? One is so
striking that I must tell it to you.

" One of our religious at Lille had suffered for a long
time with a painful ulcer on the knee. She went about on
crutches, unable to do any work, and suffering excruciating
pain. After our Mother Foundress's death, she determined
to make a novena to her, in which every one in the com-
munity joined. The very first day, on touching her knee
with a picture which had touched the body of our Mother,
it was entirely healed. The doctor who was attending her
at once declared the cure miraculous and supernatural, but
waited a month to see if the conditions would continue.
He then gave his attestation of the miracle. The family of
the religious sent, in token of gratitude, a pair of silver
crutches, as an ex-voto offering, for the altar in our Mother's
room. Here they hang, a proof of one of her first miracles.

" The atmosphere of the mother-house seems to breathe

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

of Heaven. I am almost expecting to see Our Lord Himself,
in person, at every turn of the long corridors, and the re-
ligious silence is so profound, that it is really palpable. Our
Mothers, when you meet them, have such an interior recol-
lected appearance, and greet you at the same time with such
a winning, gentle courtesy, that they seem like angels pass-
ing on their way. Here one sees the active life combined
with the full enjoyment of the contemplative. The gardens
are beautiful. The tree, planted by our Mother Foundress,
overshadows with its widespreading branches a lovely
statue of Mater Admirabilis in sorrow. It is in a little
grotto, covered with vines and ivy, and it is so touching in
its attitude of profound grief, with the nails in the hands,
instead of the spindle, and the lance and the crown of thorns,
instead of the lily, that it is hard to tear oneself away. It
goes to the heart, to mine at least, even more than the Vir-
gin in the Temple, but you should pass from one to the
other, so alike and yet so different. At the foot of the grotto
are two inscriptions, one stating that the statue is an offer-
ing to the memory of their venerated Mother by the pupils
of the rue de Varennes, and the other as follows: 'This
cedar was planted in 1820 by our venerated Mother Gen-
eral. Under its shadow she often rested. She did not labor
for herself only, but for all that seek out the truth,' Ecclus.
xxiv, 47 ; ' The root of wisdom never faileth,' Wisdom
iii, 15."

At this momentous period, prayer was the urgent need
of the Society of the Sacred Heart, but especially of the
members called to take part in the coming election. The
choice of a successor to the Foundress was a matter of the
gravest importance. The four assistants general, and the
fifteen vicars entered into a spiritual retreat, and at its close,
Mother Goetz, the youngest member of the council, was
unanimously elected Superior General. The novice scribe
thus relates the event from the information given her: " At
seven o'clock on the morning of our Lady's Nativity, M,

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

1'Abbe Surat, Vicar-General and ecclesiastical Superior, rep-
resenting the Archbishop of Paris, said the Mass of the
Holy Ghost, at which all the Mother Counsellors communi-
cated. At 8:30 they assembled in the council hall, each
vicar taking her place according to seniority of profession.
Mother Goetz presided, assisted by the other two Mothers,
who were to examine, with her, the votes. Mgr. Surat
was present, seated on a low platform on the Gospel side
of the altar, placed in the room for the occasion. The
Council opened by the ' Veni Creator/ and Mgr. Surat
then addressed the assembly a few words of exhortation
appropriate to the occasion. A folded paper ballot was
passed to each one, upon which she inscribed the name of
the one she deemed most worthy. Then, in procession, all
went to the altar, where they deposited their papers in an
urn, reciting the formula prescribed for the occasion. The
urn was then carried to Mother Goetz, who turning to Mgr.
Surat, unfolded each paper, then handed it to one of the
Mothers, who read aloud the name, while the other regis-
tered it on the paper before her. They say that as she
opened each paper, one after another, Mother Goetz grew
paler, but she was perfectly calm and mistress of herself.
When the last vote was opened, she threw herself at Mgr.
Surat's feet, while Mother Prevost, the oldest member of
the Council, announced that by the unanimous vote of the
Society, Mother Josephine Goetz was elected to the office of
Superior General. ' What/ said Mgr. Surat, ' do you still
doubt, when the unanimous voice of the Society calls you to
govern it, that light and grace will be wanting to you in the
fulfillment of your charge? ' He then blessed her, and she
was led to her chair, where the Mothers came forward to
pay her the homage of their filial submission, kneeling and
kissing her hand.

" After this ceremony, which, they say, was touching in
the extreme, they all proceeded to the chapel in procession,
the youngest first and Mother Goetz the last, followed by

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

Mgr. Surat, reciting the ' Benedictus.' The moment the
new Mother General appeared at the chapel door, the whole
community being, of course, assembled there, the organ
gave the note of the Te Deum, which all sang, while Mother
Prevost led our new Mother to her stall, that stall which
had been vacant since our venerated Mother's death. Mgr.
Surat then gave a beautiful instruction on the authority of
superiors, which always comes from God, alluding very
feelingly to our Mother Foundress, in a manner so delicate
that it could only comfort and console the one chosen to
take her place. He also addressed a few words to her of
encouragement and congratulation, speaking of the pleasure
it undoubtedly gave her venerated Mother to see her in that
place. A second Mass was then said, after which the com-
munity assembled to pay homage to their Mother."

The new Mother General manifested the most maternal
interest in the welfare of the American houses, and decided
upon several important changes in the New York Vicariate,
among others, the project of transferring the novitiate from
Manhattanville to Kenwood. Mother Hardey returned to
New York about the end of September. She visited the
little foundation in Philadelphia in November, and was
much pleased to find already forty-five pupils in the school.
With the first cold days of winter, an accident occurred at
Manhattanville, which gave her a terrible shock. During
the hour of meditation, about 6 a. m., as she was praying in
the chapel, the noise of an explosion shook the house, and,
hastening from the chapel, she found that the boiler in the
engine house had burst and the engineer was buried in the
ruins. Her first words were, " Send for the priest ! "

The noise of the explosion and the flying pieces of iron
and debris through the air attracted the attention of the
villagers, who hastened to the spot and helped to extricate
the poor victim in time for him to receive absolution before
he expired. Mother Hardey 's energy and management were
equal to the exigencies of the moment. The cold was in-

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

tense, and the repairs required in the engine house would
necessitate many weeks, so she ordered from the city a suffi-
cient number of stoves, which were set up before evening
throughout the building. The pupils' parents had such con-
fidence in her care for the welfare of the children that not
one was withdrawn from the school while the privation of
steam lasted.

Some months after she had experienced this dreadful
shock a catastrophe of another nature occurred, causing for
several days intense anguish as to the fate of some of her
daughters. After the Civil War, the convents of the Sacred
Heart in Louisiana were in great need of lay Sisters, as
vocations to the humble life of Martha were very rare,
owing to the fact that manual work had been done almost
exclusively by the slaves. Mother Shannon, in her distress,
appealed to Mother Hardey for help, offering to pay the
traveling expenses of as many Sisters as she could send to
Saint Michael's. Naturally the request found a ready re-
sponse in the heart of Mother Hardey, who set about select-
ing generous souls, able and willing to devote themselves
wherever obedience ordained. A band of six courageotts
Sisters sailed for New Orleans on September 22, 1866, full
of trust in Mary Star of the Sea, who did not fail to give
them a striking proof of her protection. In the middle of
the night they were suddenly startled by the noise of a
frightful crash and cries of terror around them. The steamer
had struck a rock off the coast of North Carolina, and, to
add to the danger, a terrific wind extinguished all the lights
on board. The news of the disaster was known only many
days after, but the account given in the papers was harrow-
ing in the extreme. We can picture Mother Hardey's an-
guish for the fate of her daughters, as the report announced
that only a few lives were saved. At last, after vain at-
tempts to get reliable information, she received the follow-
ing letter from a former pupil of Manhattanville residing in
Petersburg, Virginia:

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

" DEAR MADAME :

" I hasten to relieve your anxiety in regard to our dear
Sisters, who were wrecked off the coast of North Carolina
last Sunday, in the steamship Evening Star. Three days
ago as I was sitting down to my dinner Mr. Young handed
me the newspaper, in which I read these lines : ' Several
Religious of the Sacred Heart were on the wrecked ves-
sel going to New Orleans. They have just arrived at
the Hotel B., and are in the greatest destitution.' There
was no appetite for dinner that day! I begged Mr. Young
to order the carriage at once, and we both set out imme-
diately with provisions, clothing and money, everything that
could be of service to the dear sufferers. It was a real dis-
appointment to find on our arrival that we had been fore-
stalled by Col. Lee, in whom the dear Sisters found a most
devoted protector. They were well nigh exhausted, having
had neither sleep nor sufficient nourishment for six days.
The steamer had left New York with three hundred pas-
sengers on Saturday morning. It met with a fearful tempest
on Sunday. Night added to the horrors of the situation,
for the wind extinguished the lights, leaving all in the
vessel in complete darkness. About one in the morn-
ing there was a terrible crash which caused indescrib-
able terror and confusion among the passengers. In a
few moments the steamer lurched to one side, and the water
rushed through the open holes, for the ship had struck a
rock. It was a desert spot for miles around, so that no
help could be expected from shore, nothing but the Provi-
dence of God and their own efforts could save them from a
watery grave. The danger was imminent, and the only al-
ternative left was to climb up on the side of the vessel
which was out of the water and wait there until daybreak
would enable them to get into the life-boats.

" This was no easy task, as the side of the vessel was
very high, and, in order to reach the boats, each passenger
had to be tied around the waist and let down the length of

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

the vessel to the frail bark below. The sea was so rough
that not one of the passengers was willing to take the risk.
It was then that the captain, who had noticed the self-com-
posure of the Sisters, appealed to them to set the example
of courage. The youngest Sister asked to be let down first,
then the others followed, while tears and cries of terror
resounded all around them. Others soon followed their ex-
ample, but the greater number fell into the raging waters
and were drowned. In fact out of the three hundred on
board only twenty-eight were saved. From the life-boat
the Sisters were transferred to a fishing smack, where
they remained all day and the following night exposed to
the winds and waves, but still calm and courageous, full of
trust in God's fatherly care, and by their heroic example
inspiring their own spirit of peaceful resignation into the
hearts of those around them. Many of the rescued passen-
gers declared they owed their lives to the example of the
good Sisters. I was told by Sister N. that, when they were
leaving the life-boat, some one put into her hand a little
traveling bag, saying, ' here is some medicine for you ! '
On opening the bag she found a flask of brandy, which she
was happy to share with her companions in the fishing boat.
When the frail bark reached the shore, the inhabitants treat-
ed them with great kindness, but they had three days more
of privations of all sorts before they reached Petersburg.
Here they received every attention. The parish priest con-
ducted our good Sisters to the church, where they poured
out their thanksgiving to God for their miraculous deliver-
ance. I wanted to bring them to my home, but they in-
sisted on starting by rail on their journey, as soon as they
were sufficiently rested. The railroad officials gave them
free tickets to New Orleans, and I feel sure they will want
for nothing during the journey."

To the credit of Colonel Lee, one of the passengers on
board the Evening Star, be it said, that no father could
have been more solicitous for the comfort of his children

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

than he was for these Sisters. He insisted upon accompany-
ing them all the way to New Orleans, and only relinquished
his guardianship when half way en route he met a priest
who promised to see them safely to their destination.
Mother Hardey's gratitude for the preservation of her
daughters was sincere and heartfelt, and their noble exam-
ple amid such trying scenes was a source of great consola-
tion to her. It was gratifying also to receive these details
from one of her former pupils, whose affection and devoted-
ness was so strikingly manifested to those whose claim
upon her charity was their title of Religious of the Sacred
Heart.

The erection of the new convent at Kenwood, necessi-
tated Mother Hardey's frequent visits there during the
Spring and Summer of 1866. The Rathbone mansion had
to be demolished to give place to an edifice three hundred
and thirty feet long, with three wings, each one hundred
feet in length, and as the undertaking was an important one,
especially in regard to the transfer of the noviceship, Mother
Goetz thought it expedient for Mother Hardey to take up
her abode there. She summoned to Paris Madame Bou-
dreau, the Assistant Superior and Mistress General of Man-
hattanville, for the purpose of seeing whether she could re-
place Mother Hardey as superior, and some weeks later she
wrote to Mother Hardey as follows :

"PARIS, July, 1866.
" MY DEAR MOTHER :

" Would it be in accordance with your views to name
Mother Boudreau Superior of Manhattanville? Our
Mothers here favor this appointment, but they desire to
know your opinion before coming to a decision. If the
choice meets with your approval, you can thus, in addition
to your office as vicar, assume the charge of the house at
Kenwood."

After dwelling upon the wisdom of providing a home fcr

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

the novices, far from the immediate vicinity of the great
metropolis, Mother Goetz adds:

" Our Mothers Assistant appreciate, as I do, all that our
convents in America owe to you, dear Mother. You have
consecrated to their welfare your health, your strength,
your very life, establishing wherever you have been, the
true spirit of the Society. Hence you have a right to our
confidence and esteem. Be sure that you may always count
upon my sincere affection."

Some weeks later Mother Goetz wrote again:

" Yesterday I signed and handed to Mother Boudreau
her letter of obedience. I am convinced that she will do
all in her power to accomplish successfully the duties of
her position, and to carry on the good work, so firmly estab-
lished by you at Manhattanville."

Mother Hardey was then to leave the religious family
which she had governed for over a quarter of a century.
Though her heart suffered at the prospect of separation,
she showed no sign of regret. The will of the Superior Gen-
eral was the expression of the will of God, consequently
her will also, but the announcement of the change was made
known to the community only on the return of Mother Bou-
dreau, who was immediately installed as superior.

When Archbishop McCloskey was notified of her trans-
fer to Kenwood, he expressed his disapproval, and handed
Mother Hardey a letter from Mother Barat to Archbishop
Hughes, promising that she would never withdraw Mother
Hardey from Manhattanville. The letter had been pre-
served in the archives of the Cathedral. With her usual
adherence to authority, Mother Hardey answered, " Both
the archbishop and Mother Barat have passed away, and
the promise in no way binds Mother Barat's successor."
The archbishop then declared that he would solicit a sim-
ilar promise from Mother Goetz, but in her own gentle, per-
suasive way, Mother Hardey assured his Grace, that it was
a happiness for her to give this proof of her submission to

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

higher authority, and that, while she appreciated the arch-
bishop's regard for herself personally, she would consider
it a subject for lifelong regret were his influence to change
the orders of obedience. Needless to add that she succeeded
in reconciling the archbishop to her departure. To her
daughters she spoke of the merit of obedience and the price-
less value of sacrifice. After the opening of the school at
Manhattanville she went to Kenwood on September I4th,
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. She apprised
the Mother General of her arrival in the following words:
" The sacrifice is accomplished, and, although bitter to the
heart, it has been sweetened by the thought that in making
it I have rilled an important rule. How grateful I am to
you my Very Reverend Mother for having given me the
opportunity to obey."

If Mother Hardey rejoiced in the sacrifice which obedi-
ence demanded, she was also happy to feel the privation of
holy poverty awaiting her in her new home. The con-
vent wing was not completed until the twelfth of January,
1867, and, in the interval, there were many hardships to
endure. She refused to take a room for her use, sleeping on
a cot wherever it was convenient to place it, and occupying
during the day some corner where she would not incon-
venience others, always carrying with her from place to
place a little satchel containing her correspondence. She
was the first at each community exercise, and the first to
respond to every call for help in the domestic employments.
She was frequently found in the laundry, helping the Sis-
ters, and she often joined the novices occupied on the lawn
in picking hair for the mattresses. Her presence made
their work a joyous pastime, for, on these occasions,
she was truly a mother in the midst of her children. The
greater part of her time was given to the inspection of the
building, and the cultivation of the farm. Passing one day
where the workmen were taking their lunch, she noticed
that they were drinking cold coffee, and at once gave or-

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

ders, that, in future, their cans should be sent to the kitchen.
After some days the cook complained that so many cans
encumbered the range. Mother Hardey gently reproved
her by saying, " Sister, you should be happy to be incon-
venienced in order to serve the poor."

Repeated calls to the parlor found her always ready to
receive her visitors, whatever their station, with that gra-
cious courtesy which put them at once at ease. If a work-
man, or poor person, asked to see her, she went all the more
promptly, warning the portress, " never to keep a poor per-
son waiting, for with them time is money."

It grieved her to see the children of the neighborhood
growing up without the benefit of religious instruction,
and as soon as possible she opened a free school for them.
One of the novices was trained to take charge of this good
work, and when the classes were formed Mother Hardey
often assisted at the lessons, examined herself the writing
books, and took a lively interest in all that concerned the
children's welfare. Wishing to inspire them with devotion
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, she sought to make the first
Friday of the month a red letter day. Nor were prayer and
instruction the only feature of her programme. A little
feast of dainties was always prepared for the children
before they returned home. Their numbers increased so
rapidly that after a few years a fine school house was
built for their accommodation and there was a usual at-
tendance of over three hundred children. She also or-
ganized sodalities for both young girls and married women.
The distance from Albany seemed, at first, an obstacle to
the success of the work, but her energy surmounted every
difficulty. The Sodality of the Blessed Virgin opened with
five members; at the time of her death it numbered more
than two hundred.

In 1867 Mother Hardey put on a firmer basis another
of her early works. As the children in the parochial
school had become too numerous to be accommodated in the

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DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES

Seventeenth Street convent building in New York, she do-
nated the three lots facing on Eighteenth Street for the site
of a suitable school building, the expenses of which were to
be defrayed by the parish. Later, however, she was obliged
to assume the entire cost, over ten thousand dollars, as the
Jesuit Fathers found it impossible to raise the money. The
letters of Rev. Father Fleck, S.J., director of the parish
schools, express in glowing terms his gratitude to Mother
Hardey, whom he playfully styles, his " Fairy Godmother,"
so promptly did she come to his assistance when each pay-
ment came due. The proceeds of a concert and sundry col-
lections in the parish were appropriated to the furnishing of
the class rooms and other incidental expenses. The con-
tinued prosperity of this school was a life-long consolation
to Mother Hardey.

On the nineteenth of May, 1867, Right Rev. Bishop Con-
roy laid the corner stone of the Kenwood Chapel. Mother
Hardey watched over the progress of the building with the
deepest interest, happy in being able to provide a fitting
sanctuary for the King of Kings. Another ceremony took
place on the eighth of September, the blessing of a chime
of bells. When the news of this event reached Paris,
Mother Goetz wrote, that the introduction of chimes into
a convent of the Sacred Heart, seemed to her contrary to
the spirit of poverty, which had been handed down by the
Mother Foundress. Mother Hardey, submissive as ever to
the voice of authority, wrote immediately to the Mother
General :

" I return you heartfelt thanks, my Very Reverend
Mother, for your charitable warning. It is true, that the
pupils of Manhattanville made a gift to this house of four
bells, destined for the church, the community, the school
and the clock. They were made according to notes which
form a chime, but they have not been hung for that pur-
pose, nor will they ever be used for chimes, now that you
have had the goodness to let me see how contrary it would

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

be to our spirit of poverty ; and, if you prefer that we should
not apply them to the purposes for which they are des-
tined, they shall be removed at once. I cannot tell you, my
Very Reverend Mother, how grateful I am for your kind
warning, and I beg you will always be equally frank with
me in like circumstances."

A few years later Mother Hardey gave three of the bells
to the Church of St. Anne, in Albany. The Kenwood com-
munity never knew why the chimes were not used. We
may well believe that the obedience of a faithful, docile
heart, made sweeter music in the ear of God, than the
melody of joyous bells.

282

CHAPTER XXII.

DIFFICULTIES IN HAVANA — DEATH OF MOTHER TRINCANO —
MOTHER HARDEY VISITS THE POTTOWATOMIE MIS-
SIONS— ATTENDS RETREAT OF SUPERIORS
IN PARIS — 1867-1869.

On taking possession of the See of Havana, in 1865,
Bishop Martinez assumed an unfriendly attitude towards
the Religious of the Sacred Heart. His Lordship, though
zealous and saintly, was devoted to Spain and to Spanish
customs, and he looked with suspicion on a religious com-
munity introduced from the United States, and governed by
a superior over whom he had no control. Moreover, he
found that the " Royal Order " of approbation had not been
obtained from Spain, and hence the convents were not
canonically established. Neither the Captain General
Concha, nor the former bishop, had deemed this formality
necessary, but the new bishop, imbued with Spanish ideas
of Monasticism, looked upon the Religious of the Sacred
Heart as " Fillibusters," and began at once to denounce
them in public and in private. He set at naught certain privi-
leges guaranteed to the Society by the Holy See, censured
the form of cloister observed, objected to candidates for the
Congregation making their novitiate outside of his diocese,
and finally withdrew the English speaking Jesuit confessor,
and appointed a Capuchin father who could not understand
a word of English. The consequence was that for several
months, five of the religious were deprived of the Sacra-
ments, being unable to make their confession in Spanish.
Among these was a Sister in the last stages of consumption.
At the suggestion of Mother Hardey, Madame d'Abreu, the
Superior, wrote the following urgent appeal to the bishop:

" I cannot express to your Lordship how intense is my
grief, when these souls, bathed in tears and crushed with

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

sorrow, speak to me of their anguish. Having left home
and country in obedience to the call of God, they now find
themselves denied even the means of salvation. Great was
my astonishment to learn from our confessor that there
was no remedy ; we have only to obey, for he does not be-
lieve your Lordship will pay any attention to my petition.
Moreover, he tells me that you will not return home before
Holy Week. Are these religious to be deprived of Confes-
sion and Communion until then? And must our dying Sis-
ter appear before God, without the grace of the Last Sacra-
ments, so necessary at such a moment? I cannot believe
that your Lordship will turn a deaf ear to my appeal, and
I feel confident you will authorize an English speaking
priest to minister to the needs of these five religious. Hop-
ing to receive a favorable reply, I remain, with profound
respect and filial submission,

" Yours, etc.,

" ROSA D'ABREU, R.S.C.J."

The bishop did not deign to reply to the appeal, and as
soon as Mother Hardey learned that Sister Anne was in a
dying condition, she started immediately for Havana, hop-
ing she might succeed in propitiating his Lordship. She
sailed so promptly that there was no time to notify the com-
munity of her coming, and their surprise and joy may be well
imagined when she appeared at the door of the convent.
Her first question was, " How is Sister Anne? " " She left
us for heaven this morning," answered the Superior. An
•expression of anguish passed over Mother Hardey's face,
and she asked to be taken immediately to the dead Sister.
There she knelt in fervent prayer, her tears coursing down
her cheeks, and her whole demeanor betokening the most
intense grief.

" This was indeed a memorable visit," writes one of her
daughters. " Our hearts were divided between joy and
sorrow, joy to have our Mother with us, and sorrow because

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DIFFICULTIES IN HAVANA

of the painful circumstances which brought her. Deter-
mined to do all she could for us, our Mother solicited the
favor of a visit from the bishop. It was flatly refused.
Through the intervention of mutual friends, she negotiated
for an audience at the episcopal palace, but when she pre-
sented herself at the appointed hour, she was informed that
his Lordship had left the city, as he was determined not to
meet her. That evening at recreation, we told our Mother
we had prayed fervently for the success of her visit. With
a peculiar smile she thanked us, adding, ' You obtained for
me a great grace/ then pausing a moment, she said, ' You
obtained for me a humiliation, and a humiliation is always
a great grace ! ' '

Having learned that his Lordship was going to Sancto
Spiritu, she left immediately in the hope of meeting him
there. To the bishop's dismay she was the first to greet
him on his arrival at the convent. He seemed much im-
pressed by her gracious and humble acceptance of his
wishes in regard to that house, and before his departure, he
restored nearly all the privileges he had withdrawn from
that family, but he was inflexible in regard to the Havana
house. Mother Hardey was forced to return to New York,
feeling that in part her mission to Cuba had been a failure.
She made known the result to the Superior General and
her Council, who decided to refer the matter to Rome, with
a request for permission to suppress the Cuban houses.
His Eminence, Cardinal Bofondi, Protector of the Society
of the Sacred Heart, sent the following reply to Madame
Lehon, one of the Assistants General:

" VERY REV. MOTHER ASSISTANT GENERAL :

" The Holy Father, having been solicited to authorize
the suppression of the two houses which your Society has
in Cuba, does not favor this measure, as it would deprive
that country of the great spiritual good which is being ac-
complished there, as elsewhere, by the religious of your

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Institute. An academy, which according to the bishop's
own letter contains more than one hundred and fifty pupils,
must enjoy the esteem and confidence of the public, and
thereby refutes most triumphantly certain assertions made
by Monseigneur in his famous letter. His Holiness has ex-
pressed himself in the most benevolent manner in regaid
to the Institute of the Sacred Heart. He sympathizes with
the religious who must remain in Havana, but he reminds
them that, in order to acquire any merit, we must be dis-
posed to suffer something for it. In the meantime, the
Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars will write
again to his Lordship, the bishop, requesting him, in the
name of the Holy Father, to have all possible regard for the
welfare of the religious, and to procure for them the means
of accomplishing what is prescribed in their Constitutions,
which have been approved by the Holy See, and also of
conforming to the particular usages established. The Holy
Father trusts that the religious, on their side, will strive
to correspond to the wishes of the bishop in such matters
as do not affect the fundamental points proper to the whole
Institute.

" I cannot say whether the letter to the bishop and the
wishes of his Holiness will have the desired effect. How-
ever it may turn, a new attempt will have been made, and,
in accordance with the result obtained, we shall with greater
certainty come to a definite decision.

" I request your maternity to keep me informed of all
that may take place, in order that I may be prepared to
answer the questions that may be addressed to me. Beg-
ging you to present my respects to the Very Reverend
Mother General and to accept for yourself the assurance of
my profound esteem and veneration, I remain, etc.,

"J. CARDINAL BOFONDI."

Mother Goetz bowed before the decision of the Holy
See. She requested Mother Hardey to make a second at-

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DIFFICULTIES IN HAVANA

tempt at reconciliation with the bishop. " Humble your-
self," she wrote, " throw yourself at the feet of his Lord-
ship, and beg pardon for the pain we have caused him, as-
suring him that we have no other desire than to be his most
humble and dutiful daughters."

Mother Hardey set out again for Havana, on the third
of February, 1868. This time the bishop consented to an
interview. At first, he was cold and uncompromising, b'lt
the humble readiness with which Mother Hardey acknowl-
edged his authority and yielded to his demands, com-
pletely disarmed him, and he granted many concessions
before she left. Towards the close of the year 1868 she
again visited Cuba. This time it was her painful duty to
suppress the house in Sancto Spiritu. War with Spain had
broken out, and the hostile armies stood face to face,
almost at the threshold of the convent. There was little
hope for the future of the school, as the principal families
fled from the city. But although it only lasted five years,
this interesting mission was fruitful in blessings to the poor
especially, and to the many souls who were led to a holier
life. There were several vocations to the Society from
among the pupils.

On account of his political views, Monseigneur Martinez
was obliged to return to Spain. Before his departure, he
manifested very friendly sentiments towards the religious
of the Havana convent and, in his letters from Spain, he
frequently sent a special blessing to his " daughters of the
Sacred Heart." The days of tribulation had passed, and the
gain to Mother Hardey and her daughters was noted in the
eternal records of God.

During the summer of 1867, Mother Hardey went to
Canada to assist at the ceremony of the dedication of the
new church of the Sault-au-Recollet. The happiness of
meeting again her former daughters was marred by the
state of health in which she found Mother Trincano. She
obtained permission to remove the invalid to Kenwood, and

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

left nothing undone to prolong so useful a life. In a few
weeks Mother Trincano recovered sufficiently to be able
to write to her family at " the Sault." In one of her letters
she says : " I take daily walks in the garden of abandon-
ment to the will of God, and at times I weave together
again the threads of my wasted years. If God gives me
strength to return to my dear family, I shall strive to repair
the past, by an increase of fidelity to our holy rules, and of
devotedness to the welfare of your souls."

The slight relief in her sufferings was, however, only
temporary. Her infirmities increased with the approach of
winter, and Mother Hardey had the sorrow of realizing
that her beloved friend was soon to hear the supreme
" Veni." On the 25th of April, 1868, Mother Trincano re-
turned to " the Sault " and these devoted friends parted to
meet again only in another world.

We have already mentioned in previous chapters what
efficient aid Mother Trincano had rendered to Mother Har-
dey, especially in the training of the novices and probation-
ists, and in the organizing of foundations. Her brilliant
talents enabled her to exercise an extraordinary influence
for good, but it was chiefly by the practice of her humble
virtues, that her life was a shining light to the souls whom
she led on to perfection. From the year 1840, as we learn from
" Notes of her retreats," abandonment to the will of God
was the spirit that characterized her entire life. In her own
words, " Trifling difficulties as well as great trials are like
visiting cards upon which is written the name of Jesus."
Her life was a continual war against self; but even to the
end, God left enough of nature in her for all to recognize
the triumph of grace in her soul. Her spirit of mortification
led her to deny herself the least enjoyment, and to practice
the most severe penances. These were multiplied even to the
shedding of blood, during the seasons of carnival, Lent and
spiritual retreats. After the example of her patroness, St.
Teresa, she had made a vow " to do always what was most

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DIFFICULTIES IN HAVANA

perfect." Its faithful observance was manifested in her
every action. She often repeated to her daughters, " Our
love for our Rule should be so grounded in us, that were the
Society suppressed, each one should be able to say, I am the
Society, for the Rules and Constitutions are so engraven in
my heart, that they shall live there forever."

Mother Trincano's sanctity was held in high repute,
even beyond the circle of her own congregation. Seculars
regarded her as a woman filled with the Spirit of God, and
few could resist the power of her eloquence, or the influence
of her holy example. Bishop Bourget once playfully re-
marked to her : " Why, Mother, they say you are a born
orator ! " With a glowing countenance she eagerly, but
modestly, replied, " Ah ! Monseigneur, a religious could not
be otherwise than eloquent, when she speaks of God."
After her return to " the Sault " she redoubled her zeal for
the perfection of her daughters. The eve of the Feast of
the Sacred Heart, she was helped to the door of her room
to give her blessing to the community assembled outside.
Supported by two religious, she addressed them the follow-
ing words : " This is a fitting time to apply to the Society
the text, ' Israel arose as one man,' since to-morrow all
hearts, united in the Heart of Jesus, will rise to proclaim
their fidelity to their Divine Spouse. Renewed in His Spirih,
all will set out once more to win souls to His love and
service. Oh, yes! let us labor at the expense of health, of
earthly joys, of our very life — let us sacrifice to this dear
work our inclinations, our faculties, our entire being."

In the month of September it was judged prudent for
Mother Trincano to receive Extreme Unction. During the
touching ceremony, her soul was flooded with joy and con-
solation. Before the community withdrew from the room,
she said to them : " Nothing will be hard for you, if you
look upon your crucified Spouse fastened to the cross for
love of you. Let your crucifix be the sacred volume, in
which you will study the price of souls, and having lcarne-1

19 289

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

your lesson well, go and devote yourselves to their salva-
tion, imitating the life of sacrifice of those who have pre-
ceded you in the sublime career."

Death came in the early dawn of the twelfth of No-
vember. After receiving the last indulgence, the dying
mother gathered up all her strength, to express once more
to her devoted daughters, the sentiments of her grateful
heart. " In heaven," she said, " if God be merciful to me,
I will think of you, watch over you, and plead for you, with
a mother's tender love." Her face became radiant and she
seemed to be contemplating some ravishing spectacle, as
with the words, " Father, into Thy hands I commend my
spirit," she yielded up her soul to God.

When the telegram announcing her death was received,
Mother Hardey went at once before the Tabernacle to give
vent to her grief for the loss of her loyal friend and coun-
sellor during their close intimacy of over twenty years. On
leaving the chapel she assembled the community, and in
touching words requested their prayers for the dear de-
parted, who had so many claims upon their affection and
gratitude.

We have seen in one of Mother Hardey's early letters
to Mother Barat, in 1835, how earnestly she pleaded for the
foundation solicited by Bishop Purcell for Cincinnati. As
Bishop Dubois had made a similar application for New
York, previous to this, that diocese received preference.
The Sisters of Notre Dame from Namur were introduced
into the Diocese of Cincinnati, in July, 1840, by Bishop
Purcell, and the daughters of Blessed Julia Billiart, who
have exercised a most successful apostolate in the education
of young girls have been especially successful there. Al-
though from time to time the question of establishing a
convent of the Sacred Heart in the diocese was agitated, it
was only in the year 1869 that the project was seriously con-
sidered. Mother Hardey received the following letter on
the subject from the well-known convert, Mrs. Sarah

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DIFFICULTIES IN HAVANA

Peter, whose zeal in behalf of the spread of Catholicity in
Ohio has left lasting monuments to her memory :

" CINCINNATI, April 22, 1869.
" MY DEAR MADAME HARDEY :

" It is so long since I have seen you that I fear I have
become almost a stranger; still I am sure you have not for-
gotten one who has so long loved you and so well. You
would perhaps laugh, if you were to know how many ef-
forts I continue to make to bring your dear congregation
and yourself also into our neighborhood. I have only de-
sisted when my attempts seemed hopeless. Yet now, just
now, for it is not a half hour since I left the archbishop, all
my hopes are renewed. Without any hint from me, or
even the thought of it, his Grace mentioned that a magnifi-
cent property, beautifully situated, two or three miles out
of the city, had been offered him and he thought it would
be altogether suitable for a convent of the Sacred Heart,
and to my surprise he requested me to write to you about it,
saying that it is his wish to have your Institute here, for
we have room enough for all ! "

The good lady then gives details of the property and en-
larges upon the success to be expected and the apostola^e
awaiting the religious of the Sacred Heart in Cincinnati :
" How many years I have longed for your coming ! How
much it is to be regretted that there is no house of your
Society from St. Louis to Philadelphia ! " A little later she
wrote again : " It is delightful to me to find the archbishop
and Father Purcell so very zealous for your coming. I have
never known either of them to express so strong a desire
for any other religious order. Father Hill, the Rector of
the Jesuits, has just been here to inquire about your move-
ments, and there seems to be a general awakening of good
wishes for your coming."

About the time these letters were received, Mother Hai-
dey was requested by the Mother General to visit the Indian

291

Mission of the Pottowatomies in Kansas, with a view to its
suppression. She was also to examine certain financial af-
fairs of the convent in St. Louis, and to contribute aid, if
possible, towards the erection of the new convent at Mary-
ville. In answer to this appeal, she suspended at once the
building of one of the wings at Kenwood, and gave the
funds destined for it to the western vicariate. On her way
to St. Louis she stopped in Cincinnati, to confer with Arch-
bishop Purcell on the proposed foundation, promising to
refer the matter to the Mother General. After a brief stay
at the convent in St. Louis, she proceeded to Saint Mary's,
Kansas. We give an account of this interesting visit from
a letter written by her secretary:

" Here we are in Kansas, at the Mission of the Pottowa-
tomies. We arrived at 2 P. M. yesterday, and were cor-
dially welcomed by the Rector of the Jesuits, who con-
ducted us through his garden to the convent grounds, where
Mother Milmoe and the community were awaiting us. The
convent, a frame building in the rear of the Jesuit College,
might be taken for one of the out-houses. There is no
plastering in any part of the house, the ceilings and walls
are of whitewashed muslin. In the parlor and next best
room the muslin is covered with colored paper, and the floor
is of rough planks. After taking dinner, we went to the
church, which is about one hundred and fifty feet distant,
to make our adoration. The interior is rather pretty, con-
sidering the place. There are two side chapels, one for
the college boys, the other for the Sacred Heart Community
and pupils. After our devotions Mother Galwey took us
through the grounds. Our first visit was to the barnyard,
where we saw fifty cows and at least two dozen calves. I
asked the Sister how many cows the Fathers had. ' Why,'
she answered, ' these are the Fathers' cows and ours also/
It seems that everything here is common property. We
visited the class rooms, where we found about sixty
girls of every hue and grade, from the full-blooded Indian

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DIFFICULTIES IN HAVANA

up to whites. Near the convent are two little huts, I cannot
give them any other name. In one we found the kitchen
and the pupils' refectory. Of course, I did not expect to
find white tablecloths and napkins, but the tin plate and
cup, iron spoon, fork and knife set at each place, surprised
me not a little. In the second hut was the refectory of the
community. The room was rather miserable looking, but
we had white stoneware instead of tin, and everything
looked neat and clean. The next apartment was the com-
munity dormitory, containing four beds. In the middle of
the room is a little altar, on which is a statute of the Blessed
Virgin, resembling a squaw, and pasted on the wall are
four angels in gilt paper and cut in most fantastic shapes.
We named it the ' Chapel of the Angels/ After meals the
community go there for the accustomed visit, the church
being too distant, especially in bad weather.

" The next room, in the same cabin, is the pupils' in-
firmary, in which there are two beds, and here seven or
eight ' Indian ladies ' sometimes lodge, the extra number
reposing on the floor. After supper we took a walk to the
wash-house, about half a mile distant, near the river, and
on returning we had a view of the tents in which the Indians
were encamped on the brow of the hill, having come many
miles to assist at the Mass on Sunday. There are five choir
religious and seven sisters in the community. Among them
Reverend Mother was delighted to find Sister Mary Lay-
ton, who was a Grand Coteau when she was a pupil there.
In fact, the Sister went from Saint Louis with Mother Aude
to make the foundation, so you can imagine her joy in meet-
ing Reverend Mother again.

" On Sunday morning, at half past five, we went to the
church, where we heard two Masses. The community and
pupils were present at the second, and quite a congregation
was in the church, the men on one side, the women on the
other. We had singing during Mass, even while Holy Com-
munion was being given, and as soon as the Mass ceased,

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

two or three babies struck up a chorus, which, strange to
say, they stopped at the first sound of the organ. Two In-
dian men sang canticles in their native tongue. It was
really very devotional. At this Mass, we communicated.
The Communion railing is divided into two parts, on one
side of which the men communicate, on the other side the
women. After Mass, the priest read points of meditation
for the month of May, and concluded with a nice little in-
struction on the Blessed Virgin. The Sacred Heart pupils
were dressed in calicoes and muslins of every color. Their
only uniform consists of pink muslin sunbonnets and shoes,
for you must know the young Indian maidens go barefoot
on week days."

Having made herself thoroughly acquainted with the
resources and necessities of the mission, Mother Hardey de-
cided upon plans for the erection of a new convent, which
was to serve as a boarding school for the daughters of the
white settlers, while a section was to be appropriated to the
use of the day pupils, the half civilized Indian girls living in
the neighborhood. A question of a rather delicate nature
now presented itself for solution. The property up to this
time had been held as a joint possession by the Jesuits and
the Religious of the Sacred Heart, but Mother Hardey
deemed it expedient to divide the land as well as the
pecuniary resources of the mission. The settlement was
made easy by the disinterestedness of all parties concerned.
After the deeds were drawn up, they were taken to Leaven-
worth and signed at the episcopal residence in presence of
Bishop Miege, S.J. Years after, in alluding to this trans-
action, this prelate expressed his esteem and admiration for
Mother Hardey, whose business capacity amazed him ; but
more than all was he impressed by her deep religious vir-
tues, and that just appreciation of things temporal and
eternal, which characterized all her dealings with other?.
" To my mind," he said, " she is a finished type of a true
Religious of the Sacred Heart."

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DIFFICULTIES IN HAVANA

Mother Hardey's interest in the welfare of the Western
houses was not confined to this visit. After her return to
Kenwood, she continued to send help and advice when
solicited, as we learn from the letters of the religious
charged with the superintendence1 of the new buildings at
Maryville. ''Had you not come to our assistance, dear
Reverend Mother, by sending us the five thousand dollars,
I know not what we should have done. Our Mother Gen-
eral told me in her last letter that all her hopes for Mary-
ville rest upon you. I, also, trust to your charity, for, as
you know, we have no resources in this vicariate."

Some months later this same religious writes : " Permit
me to offer my heartfelt thanks for the money you have so
generously sent us. Our Divine Master and our Mother
General know how I long to prove to you my filial and re-
ligious gratitude. I beg Our Lord to reward you a hundred-
fold for all you have done for Maryville, and I trust that all
who dwell in this house will remember the debt of grati-
tude they owe you for helping to build their beautiful home."

On June 23, 1869, Mother Hardey, accompanied by her
secretary and Reverend Mother Cornelis, the new Vicar of
Canada, sailed for France to attend a spiritual retreat for
Superiors at the Mother House in Paris. The voyage was
very stormy, the Cuba being at the mercy of the winds
and waves for fifty-two consecutive hours. Mother Cornelis
was so very ill the party was obliged to land at Queenstown.
They proceeded to Dublin and were cordially welcomed at
the convent of Mount Anville, where they remained until
the invalid had recovered sufficiently to continue their jour-
ney. Mother Hardey marked her visit by the gift of a
sewing machine, and the promise of sending a Sister to show
them how to use it.

The retreat at the mother-house was given by Rev.
Father Olivaint, S.J., the future " martyr of the Commune."
It was a period of rest and signal graces for Mother Hardey,
and the prelude of a great sacrifice for herself and her

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

American daughters. Mother Goetz made known to her the
project she entertained of calling her to Paris in the near
future to fill the office of Assistant General. We read in
the French biography of Mother Hardey : " Strong reasons
justified this decision. The Decrees of the Congregation
advise that the Counsellors of the Mother General be chosen
from the nationalities represented in the Society, and no
one seemed so well qualified for this position as Mother
Hardey, by reason of her virtue, ability, and thorough ac-
quaintance with the needs of the Society in North America."
With this sacrifice in prospect, and the secret buried in
her own heart, Mother Hardey returned to her post, to con-
tinue a while longer her mission in her native land. She
arrived in New York on the ninth of September, and two
days later her Kenwood family gave her a joyful " Welcome
Home."

396

- il I'l I i i

1 Maryville, Missouri

2 Clifton, Cincinnati

3 St. Charles', Missouri. (New House)

4 St. Joseph's, Missouri

CHAPTER XXIII.

FOUNDATION IN CINCINNATI — MOTHER HARDEY RESUMES
THE GOVERNMENT OF MANHATTANVILLE — FOUNDA-
TION OF ROSECROFT, MARYLAND 1869-1871.

Mother Hardey's first duty on her return from France
was to carry out the decisions of Mother Goetz respecting
the change of superiors in the Vicariates of New York and
Missouri. Mother Gauthreaux was appointed Vicar of the
Missouri province, in place of Mother Galwey, who was
named to succeed Mother Boudreau as local superior of
Manhattanville. The latter went to Eden Hall to replace
Mother Tucker, who was transferred to the convent in St.
Louis. It is unnecessary to add that these changes, which
occasioned so many sacrifices and heart sufferings to the
religious families concerned, were accepted with a deep
religious spirit of submission.

A sweet consolation was afforded to Mother Hardey by
the dedication of the beautiful gothic chapel of Kenwood,
on October 20, 1869, feast of Mater Admirabilis. Bishop
Conroy officiated, assisted by a large number of ecclesiastics,
and the admirably trained choir of St. Joseph's Church,
Albany, and two years later, he consecrated the exquisite
marble altar, his own generous gift to Mother Hardey for
the new chapel. It remains as a fitting memorial of his
loyal friendship and of his loving zeal for the House of God.

Mother Hardey's next work was the arrangement of the
necessary details of the foundation in Cincinnati. Owing
to the absence of Archbishop Purcell at the Vatican Coun-
cil, she thought it prudent to await his return, but let-
ters from his brother, Very Rev. Edward Purcell, V. G.,
induced her to undertake the foundation at once. Father
Edward writes: " You appear to have doubts, dear Madame
Hardey, about your foundation in this diocese. The arch-

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

bishop has told you, and written to you, of his desire that
you should come to Cincinnati, and even if I were not
equally anxious on the subject, the fact that it would be a
pleasure to him, would make it a law for me. Your founda-
tion does not depend upon any special spot in the diocese,
but you are welcome to choose over all its territory. I hope
you will find this sufficiently explicit. Whatever service I
can be to you, I will cheerfully perform. I may probably
write again in a day or two to tell you the exact position
of things here, and what you may expect for your school."

A few days later he recommends the purchase of a cer-
tain property just then in the market : " If you could secure
the place for your Order it would be the best you could
procure here. I take it for granted that you wish to be
near the city. The Sisters of Notre Dame and the Sisters of
Charity monopolize the northern and western sections of
the country, which lie within a few miles of the city, so
that Cincinnati would alone be exempt from competition,
which I think should be avoided if possible.

" Now, Madame Hardey, I place these plans before you
that you may ascertain the Divine Will, which you know it
is your duty to do. I can give only a poor human judgment
in the matter. The Ursulines have a splendid place forty
miles from town, which is crowded with pupils, two-thirds
Protestants. This proves that distance from the city makes
no difference to the prosperity of an institute. I acknowl-
edge I would like to have you in, or near, Cincinnati. As
I said before, I now repeat, that no previous consideration
and no regard for other Religious Orders in the diocese
will permit me to hesitate a moment in doing all I can to
advance your interests. I will do as much from a sense
of duty in this matter, as I would from impulse of heart in
any other, and I can assure you that both, poor and insuf-
ficient as they are, are at the service of your community."

The desire expressed in these friendly letters seemed of
itself an indication of the Divine Will, so Mother Hardey,

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accompanied by her secretary, left Kenwood for Cincinnati
in the closing days of October, and was hospitably enter-
tained by Father Purcell in the episcopal residence. He
himself accompanied her in quest of a suitable location.
They found a desirable residence on West Sixth Street,
which was purchased, and Mother Hardey and her secretary
took possession on the first of November, under the pat-
ronage of All Saints. The little band of foundresses was
summoned from Kenwood, and preparations were begun
for the opening of the school. It would be needless to
dwell at length on the part taken by Mother Hardey in
the domestic work of the foundation. Then, as on former
occasions, she was in the midst of her daughters, making
their labors a pleasing pastime, and gently teaching them
how to interweave pious thoughts with the toil of busy
hands.

A loving annalist has left us records of those early days :
" Our dear Reverend Mother was the life of our happy cir-
cle, sharing all our occupations, and inspiring us with a
high sense of our privileges as foundresses. Once while
we were picking hair and husks for mattresses, she turned to
me and said, ' Sister, for every leaf you pluck, ask our Lord
to pluck away a leaf of your imperfections.' It was easy
to see that her heart was in close union with Him, whom
she wished to teach us to serve with a generous spirit.
Mass was celebrated for the first time in our little chapel
on the Feast of St. Stanislaus, and, on the Feast of the
Presentation, the aspirants renewed their vows. A few
days later our Mother gave us a beautiful conference, in
which she sought to impress us with the nobility and obli-
gations of our mission. The very word ' foundation,' she
said, conveys its own meaning. When masons build a
strong edifice, intended to stand the wear of time, they dig
a deep trench, place within it massive stones, which they
cement firmly together. So should it be with this founda-
tion. Those chosen to be its first members are its founders,

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and they should strive to be such in spirit and in truth,
laying deep in their hearts the solid virtues of humility,
obedience, charity and zeal. Upon the strength of your
virtues will depend the religious spirit which you will trans-
mit to your successors. If those who in future years live in
this house be wanting in humility, it will be because the
founders have not laid the foundation stone of this beau-
tiful virtue, dearer than all others to the Heart of Jesus.
If they be wanting in obedience and fidelity to rule, it will
be because the founders have not labored with a true love of
the rule in their hearts. A grave responsibility then rests
upon you, and how is it to be discharged? By living in
the presence of God, working for His glory, not your own
satisfaction, and laboring with all the earnestness of your
soul to become perfect as your Heavenly Father is per-
fect." At the moment of her departure for Kenwood, she
said, " I leave you to the care of good Mother Hogan, but
especially to that of the Divine Guest in the Tabernacle
who must henceforth be your Light, your Joy, your All ! "
In the Spring of 1870 Mother Hardey had great anxiety
in regard to the property of Manhattanville. Heavy assess-
ments were levied for the surrounding improvements made
by the city, and a division of the property was threatened.
Mother Galwey, the superior, was in a poor state of health
and incapable of coping with existing difficulties. She herself
realized the condition of affairs, and at one of Mother Har-
dey's visits to Manhattanville made known her desire to be
relieved of responsibility. Her edifying letter on the sub-
ject will no doubt interest our readers:

" REV. AND DEAR MOTHER :

" Seeing your constant occupation all day long, the idea
presents itself of writing to you, so that while en route to
Kenwood you may read my sentiments. If our Very Rev.
Mother should in charity release me from the terrible re-
sponsibility of superiority, may I simply state my mind?

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FOUNDATION IN CINCINNATI

For many years I have felt a desire to be placed in a position
where I might try to edify by a life of humility and submis-
sion. I have often heard that the head superiors of religious
communities frequently find subjects unwilling to retire to
hidden life, and I have thought, if God granted me the
opportunity, I should prove by example my real apprecia-
tion of my vocation. If withdrawn, may I beg of you, my
first Mother, to employ me in an office without title? I
am fully conscious how incapable I am at my age, sixty-
six, to fill efficiently the higher charges. I have no knowl-
edge of the Sisters' employments, and none for the school,
either for studies or discipline. In fact, I feel I could only
aid under an official, and I ask as a favor, that neither
my age nor my former employments shall be considered.
Let me simply take my place of profession, without consid-
eration. I am urged to prepare for eternity, and I long to
avail myself of the time granted me to repair the past and
be assured, dear Mother, the last place in the Society would
be happily accepted by me. I am now, what think I was
in 1836, when I asked for admission into our Blessed So-
ciety, and I can never do too much, nor even enough, to
prove my gratitude to God for the precious blessing. You
will not, dear Mother, I trust ever have cause to regret hav-
ing given a helping hand to your first daughter. I will with
God's help be submissive and devoted. Ever your grateful

daughter in C. T. « **• T /•» r> c /- T »

M. J. GALWEY, R.S.CJ.

Mother Galwey expressed her desire likewise to the Su-
perior General, who, in view of the exceptional difficulties,
accepted her resignation and appointed Mother Hardey
once more to the government of Manhattanville. The ic-
turn of their beloved Mother was a great joy to her daugh-
ters, and a great benefit to the temporal prosperity of the
house, while it added greatly to her own cares and respon-
sibilities. For several years the rapid growth of the city
had encroached upon the seclusion of the convent, and the

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Board of Public Works was now about to execute a plan
for cutting streets through the convent property. One day
a party of public officials called to notify Mother Hardey
of the improvements in project. As soon as they were
seated in the parlor, they began to discuss their plans, when
one of them prudently reminded the others to be on their
guard against the influence of Madame Hardey. " Gentle-
men," he said, " do not permit yourselves to be magnetized
by Madame Hardey! Be determined not to yield an inch
of the ground mapped out. She has a wonderful power of
bringing every one into line with her views." All declared
their firm purpose of adhering to their decision, one gentle-
man remarking no woman could ever make him change his
mind. At this moment Mother Hardey entered. She gra-
ciously saluted her visitors, then waited for them to make
known their business. She listened in silence to their plans
and projects, appeared much interested in the remarks of
each one, but gave no utterance to her own sentiments
until they had concluded their explanations.

When they manifested their desire to hear her opinion,
she quietly answered in a firm, but pursuasive tone of voice,
" Surely, gentlemen, you cannot intend to carry out the
extreme and ill-advised measures which you propose?"
One of the party handed her the drawings of the projected
improvements in that section of the city, claiming that their
decision was the result of thorough investigation and abso-
lute necessity. His statements were supported by the argu-
ments of his colleagues. After listening calmly and atten-
tively to the exposition of their plans and examining
carefully the map before her, Mother Hardey pointed out
here and there several serious obstacles which they had
not foreseen. Then she suggested other measures and plans
far more advantageous, and when she saw that her judgment
had prevailed, she called for pen and paper, and in less than
ten minutes she secured their written promise that the con-
vent property should not be touched. Refreshments were

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FOUNDATION IN CINCINNATI

then offered and very soon the merriment of the party gave
evidence of their good feeling when the spokesman ex-
claimed, "Did I not warn you, gentlemen? No one can
resist Madame Hardey's will ! "

In the autumn of 1870, anxieties of another nature
weighed upon Mother Hardey's heart. The Sovereign Pon-
tiff was a prisoner in the Vatican to the great grief of every
true child of the Church, and the Franco-Prussian war was
a deep solicitude to the members of the Society of the
Sacred Heart. The convents in France were exposed to
all the dangers of war, and many of them had been con-
verted into hospitals for the sick and wounded of the con-
tending armies. As the victorious troops advanced towards
the capital the Mother General, yielding to the advice of
her council, withdrew to Laval, where she hoped to be able
to keep up communication with the houses of the Society.
Mother Hardey sent her the following expression of sym-
pathy : " You cannot imagine, my Very Rev. Mother, our
intense anxiety of the past few weeks. Your letter of
September i/th is doubly precious, since it gives me the
assurance that you have left Paris for Laval. May Our Lord
protect you and all our houses in France. Prayers are be-
ing offered throughout this vicariate for your preservation
and that of our loved Society." After suggesting the
thought that it might be the Divine Will that the Mother
General should leave France during these troubled days, to
visit her American families, Mother Hardey adds, " Will
you permit me, my Very Rev. Mother, to make the voyage
to France and bring you to our American shore? "

Writing again, at the close of the war, Mother Hardey
says : " O my Very Rev. Mother, how deeply our hearts
shared in your trials during the sad times through which
you have passed ! How ardently we longed to contribute
to the necessities of our dear Mothers and Sisters during
the period of their cruel suffering! Be assured of our
filial sympathy in your great affliction at the loss of our

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

saintly Mother Prevost. Our heartfelt thanks have been
offered to God for your preservation, and it will be a great
happiness for us to fulfill your vow." Mother Goetz had
made a promise that throughout the Society on every Fri-
day of the coming year Acts of Consecration and Repara-
tion should be read in presence of the Blessed Sacrament,
in thanksgiving for the protection which had been vouch-
safed to her convents during the disastrous war. But
hardly was the siege of Paris raised when the city was at
the mercy of the Communists, who threatened to renew the
horrors of the great revolution. Again Mother Hardey
wrote :

" I cannot tell you how anxious we are in regard to our
houses in France, especially those in Paris. The only details
we have received have reached us from England, and how
far they are from reassuring us! We trust that you are still
at Laval, for it would increase our anguish if we thought
you were in the midst of the Paris riots. This letter will
reach you about the Feast of the Patronage of Saint Joseph.
How gladly would I offer my good wishes for your feast-
day, but during these sorrowful times we can only plead
with Saint Joseph to show himself the true patron of the
Church and of the venerated Mother, so dear to all otfr
hearts."

Mother Hardey's sympathy found expression in a prac-
tical form, for when assured that her gifts would reach their
destination she sent to the Mother General all the money
she could spare. Mother Goetz was moved to tears by this
generosity, and was heard to exclaim, " Ah ! what charity
reigns in the Society."

Cuba was at this period scourged by civil war, and the
sorrow that filled its desolate homes was felt by many a
heart in the schools of Manhattanville and Kenwood. Al-
most every family suffered the loss of a loved one, torn
from wife and children by imprisonment, exile or death.
Many of the Cuban pupils were left dependent upon Mother

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FOUNDATION IN CINCINNATI

Hardey's bounty. They found in her a Mother ever ready
to console them in their grief, and to supply the needs of
those whose fortunes were wrecked by the war. In the
winter of 1871 she was about to visit the community of
Havana, when her physician opposed the voyage on account
of a serious indisposition from which she was suffering.
She appointed Mother Tommasini to go in her place, and
to assure her daughters that her heart was with them in
the midst of their great trials.

In April she made the visitation of the convents in
Rochester and Cincinnati. She rejoiced to find in the latter
about fifty pupils. Writing to the Mother General she
says : " The Cincinnati foundation prospers beyond our most
sanguine hopes. Mother Hogan is very successful, and she
manages remarkably well. She has won general confidence,
and has enlarged the building for the accommodation of
the pupils, defraying all the expenses herself. His Grace,
Archbishop Purcell, takes a lively interest in the welfare
of the new convent, and manifests on all occasions his de-
light in possessing a convent of the Sacred Heart in his
episcopal city. We must try to get a house in the country,
for the confinement in the city would soon prove injurious
to the health of the community. There is another founda-
tion, Very Rev. Mother, which I venture to propose to
you. My young sister, having decided to enter the noviti-
ate, her mother offers us her home for an Academy. I
felt that you would approve of my visiting the place on my
way from Cincinnati, in order to give you a description of it.

" The property is beautifully situated on the Saint
Mary's River, one hundred and twenty miles from Balti-
more, and consists of three hundred acres of land, one hun-
dred and fifty of which are dense forests, the remainder
being corn fields, pastures, etc. As it is almost surrounded
by water the place offers all the advantages of sea bathing,
which would be very beneficial to our invalids, and there
is always abundance of fish and oysters. The house, though

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

not large, is commodious, and of sufficient size for a begin-
ning; the expenses of the foundation will be small. The
Rev. Jesuit Fathers have a residence at a short distance
and they promise us spiritual help. They are very anxious
to see a convent of the Sacred Heart at Rosecroft, for they
realize how much good a house of education would accom-
plish in that part of the country.

" I may add, that this place is regarded as the cradle of
Catholicity in Maryland, as the first Catholic colony landed
here in 1634. The Archbishop of Baltimore remarked
the Catholics of Maryland would be delighted to see the
Sacred Heart established in this consecrated spot. I submit
to you this offer of my step-mother, who, through respect
for the wishes of my venerated father, desires to transfer the
property to a Religious Order, and, since her only daughter
has chosen the Sacred Heart, it is to the Sacred Heart that
she gives the preference. In closing, let me assure you,
Very Rev. Mother, that your decision respecting the pro-
ject, whether favorable or otherwise, will be accepted as
coming from God."

In passing through Baltimore Mother Hardey visited
Archbishop Spalding, in order to confer with him on the
subject of the proposed foundation. The impression left
upon his Grace by Mother Hardey's wise judgment and
administrative ability was so profound, that he remarked to
one of his priests: " Madame Hardey is a woman created by
God for the accomplishment of a great work, and there will
never be another like her/'

The foundation of Rosecroft was accepted by the Mother
General, and in September, 1871, the homestead was trans-
formed into a convent of the Sacred Heart. It may interest
the reader to know that in colonial times Rosecroft was the
residence of the Collector of the Port of St. Mary's, and
that it was also the home of Blanche Warden, the heroine of
John P. Kennedy's novel, " Rob of the Bowl." The garden
was literally a parterre of roses, several varieties blooming

306

FOUNDATION IN CINCINNATI

as late as Christmas, hence the name Rosecroft, " A field of
roses." Scarcely was this new school established on a firm
basis when difficulties arose which led Mother Hardey to
fear for its future.

In January, 1872, she wrote to Mother Goetz : " With
regard to the Maryland foundation an unexpected circum-
stance makes me think that perhaps it does not enter into
the designs of Providence that the Sacred Heart should be
established at Rosecroft. I have already written you that
the Jesuit Fathers have a residence near the place, and that
two priests being there, they would willingly attend to our
spiritual needs; since that time, the new provincial has
withdrawn one of these fathers, and he refuses to permit
the other to serve us. The Archbishop of Baltimore cannot
give us a chaplain, as that part of Maryland is under the
exclusive jurisdiction of the Jesuits. Happily, no definite
arrangements have been made in regard to the property, as
my sister is not yet of age, so we are at liberty to abandon
it if future difficulties render our stay there impracticable."

Hoping that events might take a more favorable turn,
the Religious of the Sacred Heart continued their mission at
Rosecroft, Mother Hardey having secured a chaplain from
the New York diocese to minister to their wants, but as we
shall see later on, the deprivation of spiritual aid forced
them to abandon Maryland.

The year 1871 is memorable for the terrible conflagra-
tion that swept over the city of Chicago, reducing over two-
thirds of the city to a heap of ashes. Over ten thousand
families were left homeless, but the convent of the Sacred
Heart escaped destruction, as if by miracle, for the wind
turned the flames in a contrary direction just as they had
begun to destroy the section in which it was located. The
religious were thus enabled to give shelter to other com-
munities whose convents had been destroyed. On hearing
of the disaster, Mother Hardey organized bazaars in all her
houses and sent the proceeds to be distributed to the most
need sufferers.

CHAPTER XXIV.

MOTHER HARDEY APPOINTED ASSISTANT GENERAL AND Vis-

ITATRIX OF THE CONVENTS OF NORTH AMERICA —

DEPARTURE FOR FRANCE — 1871-1872.

When the troubled days of 1871 had drawn to a close
and the Mother General had returned with her counsellors
to Paris, Mother Hardey was appointed Assistant General,
and deputed to visit the convents in North America. At
that time the Vicariates of the United States and Canada
numbered twenty-five houses and to visit them, as Mother
Goetz wrote in December, 1871, would require about three
or four months. " Therefore," she added, " we shall expect
to welcome you at the Mother House about the end of
August."

Although she had been prepared for the summons, dur-
ing the retreat in Paris in 1869, Mother Hardey hoped to
escape the dignity and its consequent sacrifices, but the
call was received with that spirit of obedience and sim-
plicity which had always marked her response to the voice
of authority. In her reply to Mother Goetz she says:
" Your letter of December I2th has overwhelmed me. My
first exclamation on reading it was, ' My poor Mother Gen-
eral ! She is increasing her burden by choosing an aid who
is incapable of giving her assistance. Yet obedience is
everything to me, my venerated Mother. I am ready to
go.' " Alluding to the regrets expressed by Mother Goetz
on being obliged to remove her from her country, and the
works which she had established there, she continues : " As
to the sacrifice of my native land, I can say in truth, that I
have always considered the Society as my country and my
home. With regard to my works, I know full well, that God
has need of no one."

After making a detailed statement of the affairs of her

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APPOINTED ASSISTANT GENERAL

vicariate, she represented the advantages of delaying her
departure until she had settled certain pecuniary matters, in
order to lighten the burden of her successor, and then con-
cludes as follows : " Permit me to renew the assurance that
I place myself in your hands. I have given you the details
of everything, and I will accept with submission whatever
you will decide." Again, in answer to a letter received from
Mother Goetz in January, 1872, she says : " I have no other
desire than to submit my views to your judgment, and to
show my gratitude for your maternal goodness. To be sta-
tioned near you, and to learn at last how to obey, after hav-
ing been so long obliged to command, will be to me a real
happiness, and it will sweeten the trial which this change
may cause nature to suffer."

Mother Goetz proposed to make known immediately the
nomination of Mother Hardey to the post of Assistant Gen-
eral, but the humility of the latter shrank from the addi-
tional honors which this announcement would have secured.
She pleaded for permission to travel in quality of Visitatrix,
and having obtained the consent of the Mother General, she
started on her journey early in February. Her first visit
was to Havana, where her unexpected arrival gave great
joy to her Cuban family, and her stay of two weeks afforded
them multiplied graces and consolations. The visit seemed
truly providential, for they were sorely harassed by various
measures of the government, which threatened to compro-
mise their rights and privileges. As a citizen of the United
States, Mother Hardey was not qualified to take the initia-
tive in seeking to obtain a redress of grievances, but the
wisdom of her counsels directed her daughters to act with
that prudence which eventually conciliated the government
and preserved intact the rights of the convent. When free
from other duties, she took her place beside the bed of
Mother Byrne, the superior, who was dying of cancer.
" Come with me," she said one morning to her secretary,
" and see how courageously a saint can suffer." She as-

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

sisted while the attendants were dressing the wounds, for
the purpose, she said, of gaining strength for her own soul.
Although she knew her adieu was final, no word or sign
betrayed her emotions on parting with her daughters, con-
sequently they had no suspicion of the sacrifice which she
offered on the altar of obedience. On her return to Man-
hattanville Mother Hardey presided at the semi-annual ex-
aminations with as much interest, as if she had no other
duty to fulfill. Her stay at home was brief, for early in
April she resumed her travels, but so admirably had she
maintained silence respecting her new mission it was
only after she had started on her Western tour that it be-
came known that she was Visitatrix. On reaching Chicago
she found the community mourning the loss of their be-
loved Superior Vicar, Mother Gauthreaux, who, on the
twenty-fifth of March had yielded up her soul to God. In
offering condolence to the afflicted family Mother Hardey
dwelt upon that incomparable charity which had always in-
clined their deceased Mother to palliate the faults of others,
and to exaggerate their virtues.

The illness and death of Mother Gauthreaux necessi-
tated certain changes. Mother Hardey recommended the
removal of the novices to Maryville, which was better fitted
for their accommodation than the restricted quarters of the
Taylor Street convent. The suggestion received the ap-
proval of the Mother General, and a few months later the
transfer of the novitate was effected.

From Chicago Mother Hardey journeyed to Saint Joseph,
Missouri, and here again her presence was a source of bene-
diction to the community. They were suffering at the time
from a financial embarrassment, which she enabled them to
overcome, and a new era of prosperity began at once for
the Academy of St. Joseph's. To save time by travelling
during the night, she set out on the evening of April
I5th, for Saint Mary's, Kansas. Arriving at three o'clock
in the morning, she was disappointed to find neither car-

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APPOINTED ASSISTANT GENERAL

riage nor messenger awaiting her. " We have only to sit
on our trunk," she said to her secretary, " and remain here
until morning. Meantime, let us ask St. Joseph to come to
our aid." Their prayer was soon answered, for after a few
minutes they saw a feeble light in the distance.

Hoping that it gave promise of shelter from the cold and
darkness, they advanced slowly and cautiously, until they
reached a small house which proved to be a variety store.
Their loud rapping at the door seemed to cause consterna-
tion within for they could hear the cry, " Joe, Joe, come
quick ! " After prudent inquiry the good German storekeeper
admitted them willingly, and apologized for the delay, say-
ing a party of drunken Indians had held carousal at the
station the night before, and he feared they might give him
trouble that night. " He invited us into his best room,"
wrote Mother Hardey's secretary, " and made a fire in the
big stove, which seemed to be the chief article of furni-
ture. Learning that we were from New York, he plied
Reverend Mother with questions about trade, stocks, poli-
tics and every imaginable subject, and in spite of her fatigue
she entertained him, while I dozed in a chair. A mes-
senger was dispatched to the convent, and at about five
o'clock the farm wagon and team took us to our journey's
end. The telegram announcing our coming was received
only after we had breakfasted." The annals of Saint Mary's
mention this visit as a most signal blessing. We quote the
following extracts :

" The temporalities of our house were in a distressing
condition. This dear Mother obtained for us the loan of
$10,000, which enabled us to meet the most urgent demands,
but her efforts were especially directed towards establishing
us in supernatural riches, which are our safest treasures.
She showed the greatest kindness towards each one, trying
in every way possible to make us as comfortable as our
surroundings would permit. Finding that our wardrobes
and bedding needed replenishing, her charity found means

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

of providing us at once with a generous supply. Having
heard how much we suffered from the cold during the past
winter, she authorized us to have the house heated by
steam before the next season. May God bless her, is the
cry that comes from the depths of our grateful hearts."

The next pause in the itinerary was at Saint Charles,
where she had the sweet consolation of praying at the tomb
of the holy Mother Duchesne. She could give only two
days to this little family, but according to the testimony of
one of the religious, " she captivated all hearts." We can
readily believe that in this cradle of the Society in America,
Mother Hardey found strength and courage for her own
approaching sacrifice, and recommended earnestly to the
prayers of the saintly Mother Duchesne the important mis-
sion with which she was charged.

On April 22, she went to St. Louis and thence to Mary-
ville. The meeting with old friends and the making of new
ones, was a pleasure afforded by the visitation. Madame
Tucker, the superior, sums up its blessings in these lines
to the Mother General :

" I might almost say, that Mother Hardey has been the
salvation of this vicariate. She has effected great things
everywhere, but especially at St. Joseph, where she put
their accounts in order, and at St. Mary's, to which house
she advanced funds necessary to discharge their debts. She
has gained the confidence of all by her goodness, her de-
votedness and her love for the Society."

Mother Hardey left St. Louis on April 30, for New Or-
leans. Her secretary wrote : " The journey was fatiguing,
but at each delay our dear Mother said : * Let us thank
God, it is His Holy Will.' That thought was no doubt
her spiritual bouquet, for she accepted every disappointment
as coming directly from the hand of God. Always on the
alert to render service to others, Rev. Mother noticed that
the conductor frequently dropped his eye-glasses because
they had no string. Taking a shuttle from her bag, she

312

1 Convent, London, Ontario

2 Halifax

3 Sault-au-Recollet

APPOINTED ASSISTANT GENERAL

made a cord in a very short time, and you may imagine
how pleased he was to receive it. After a journey of three
days and three nights on the train, we reached New Orleans
at last, and were met by a young gentleman who intro-
duced himself to Reverend Mother as the son of one of her
former pupils at St. Michael's. We arrived at the convent
at one A.M., and to the great disappointment of the com-
munity, left the same day for Saint Michael's, as a friend
had advised Reverend Mother to take that evening's boat,
which was the best and safest on the line. Soon after start-
ing a gentleman came forward exclaiming, ' Well, well,
is this indeed Madame Hardey?' It was Mr. Devlin, the
brother of our good friend in New York. Others advanced
and also claimed acquaintance, either personally or through
friends. It was easy to see that Reverend Mother's name
had lived among the scenes she had left more than thirty
years ago.

" We reached St. Michael's about ten o'clock, and not
being expected there was no one at the landing to meet us.
Old Black John having heard the steamer whistle rushed
down calling out, ' Is Madame Hardey here? ' Upon receiv-
ing an affirmative reply he gave loud, joyful cheers, which
echoing in the distance announced our arrival. During
three nights the faithful old man had watched for her com-
ing, and when another negro offered to replace him he
answered : ' No, no ; if ole John watch three weeks he must
be there to meet Madame Hardey, she knew me ever since
I'se born.'

" Reverend Mother Hardey remained only one day at
St. Michael's, as the boat was leaving for Natchitoches, ever
bearing in mind the necessity of gaining time, in order to
fulfill her mission within the period appointed by the Mother
General. Owing to the low tide of the Red River the jour-
ney lasted three days. The greater number of the passen-
gers were ' colored ladies,' who seeing Mother Hardey 's
secretary busy writing during the day, were very curious

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

to know what she could have to write about. One of
them ventured to ask, ' Is that daughter of yours writing
a newspaper?' 'No/ said Mother Hardey, 'she is writ-
ing letters.' ' Lor' sakes! ' exclaimed the woman, ' I'd give
a heap of money to have a letter wrote to my Sam ! ' ' She
will write the letter for nothing,' said Mother Hardey,
whereupon Sarah Ann sat down beside Mother Hoey, and
confided to her that Sam was going to be her husband and
she must tell him how much she missed him, and how
he must behave until she came back again. The news
soon spread through the negro colony that letters were
being written for nothing, so one after another came
to claim the favor. The ' Secretary of the Blacks ' wrote
on all imaginable subjects. As soon as a letter was finished
it was handed by the happy owner to Mother Hardey with
the request, ' Please read it again.' The amiable Mother gra-
ciously complied, then sealed and stamped the envelope so
that it might be ready to be posted at the next stopping
place. Needless to say that she made many hearts glow
with pride and joy, and it was with unfeigned regret that
they departed from her, expressing the earnest hope that
she and that smart daughter of hers would come along their
way again some day."

The visit to Natchitoches was very brief, but it abounded
in consolation for the little family which had been sorely
tried during the Civil War. The school was so depleted
that Mother Hardey recognized the need of a more prom-
ising field of labor elsewhere. This establishment was
closed a few years later. On May 12 she returned to St.
Michael's. This convent, associated with so many happy
memories of her early religious life, had been sadly changed
by the fortunes of war. The prospects of the school, once
so flourishing, were far from assuring, but in a very touch-
ing conference Mother Hardey lifted up the hearts of
her daughters with the watchword of Father Varin, " Cour-
age and confidence ! " Here, as everywhere else, the sick

APPOINTED ASSISTANT GENERAL

were the object of her maternal solicitude. On learning that
one of the religious was very ill, she went immediately to
visit her, and every day during her sojourn in the house
she repeated this act of charity, although she had to mount
a long staircase to reach the cell of the invalid. As the
fever could not be broken, she decided to try change of air
and take her to the North.

One of the Sisters, very expert in making shoes, put
one of her nicest pairs in Mother Hardey's room, hoping
she would wear them. Disappointed at not seeing or hear-
ing anything about them, she ventured to ask if the shoes
did not fit her. " Oh, my good Sister," replied Mother Har-
dey, " I did not try them, because I have two pairs already
and a third would be against holy poverty ; but I noticed
Sister X. had broken shoes, so I gave them to her." Then,
inspired by her tender charity for others, she added : " Sis-
ter, I have examined some of the Sisters' shoes, and I find
they are very badly mended. Try to be more careful in
future. Our dear Sisters are on their feet all day long at
their employments, and if their shoes are not comfortable,
they must necessarily suffer very much. Now promise me
you will do your best to make this act of charity for the love
of the Heart of Jesus."

Mother Hardey's goodness was very marked to the for-
mer slaves of the convent. One especially, " old Liza," was
in an ecstasy of joy on seeing again her dear " Madame
Aloysia," whom she had known from the early days of the
foundation. The history of this noted character may be of
interest to our readers. At the age of seven she was given
to Mother Duchesne by Archbishop Dubourg. When St.
Michael's was opened, she was sent there to aid in the do-
mestic employments, and her admiration for Madame Aloy-
sia, then a novice, grew with each succeeding year. The
regret of her life was that she was black and therefore de-
barred from joining the Society of the Sacred Heart. One
dav Madame Aloysia found the poor girl crying to break

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

her he?rt. When asked the cause of her grief, Liza an-
swered she had been told that she would turn white when
she had shed a hogshead of tears. The assurance that if she
were very obedient and humble she would be with the re-
ligious in Heaven made Liza very happy, but her repug-
nance to the " Blacks " was never wholly overcome. She
declared she was an Indian, and therefore superior to the
negroes around her, and no persuasion could make her
assist at any of their services in the parish church.

After Madame Aloysia went North Liza kept up a cor-
respondence with her " spiritual Mother," as she called her.
Every year before the Feast of Pentecost, Mother Har-
dey sent her a new dress, fichu and bandana. Liza mar-
ried twice. Her second husband treated her badly, and
when, a few weeks after their marriage, he disappeared
with all her belongings, she drew a sigh of relief and
thenceforth devoted herself entirely to the service of the
nuns. She took a vow to nurse all the sick in the house.
The conditions were fulfilled when she washed their clothes
or remained with sick children during Mass on Sunday.
The heroism of her sacrifice was manifested in her attend-
ance at the Mass in the parish church among " the common
folk," for did she not belong to the Sacred Heart? The
renewal of her promise was made with great ceremony every
year on the Feast of Pentecost. After receiving Holy Com-
munion in the morning, Liza came at an appointed hour
to the Lady Chapel, clad in her new attire, the gift of her
beloved Madame Aloysia, and wearing a white veil and
with a candle in her hand, there before the altar, in the
presence of the assembled community she placed the for-
mula of her consecration in the hands of the superior, re-
questing her to read it aloud " so all could understand it."
When the superior had finished reading the act, the Mag-
nificat was intoned, and during the singing Liza passed
around shaking hands and receiving congratulations.

On one occasion the superior was a foreigner. For days

316

APPOINTED ASSISTANT GENERAL

previous to the feast Liza was greatly troubled in mind,
lest the reading should not be properly made. At last she
went herself to the superior and asked to hear her read the
act, so that she might judge whether she would be under-
stood. The amiable Mother de Sartorius, later the fourth
Superior General of the Society, entered fully into Liza's
feelings on the subject, and read the formula as best she
could. Liza made her repeat certain words over and over
again, so that the proper emphasis might be given them.
At last she seemed satisfied, but just as she was leaving the
room she remarked : " I 'dvise you to read it once more
before one of them children who listened to it last year! "
Liza's letters are specimens of old plantation literature, that

is now but rarely found. When Madame M went to

Mexico to open a house there, Liza became uneasy at her
prolonged absence, so one evening she called one of the
religious to her cabin, told her to light a candle and write a
letter for her to that Spanish town over yonder. Here is
what she dictated:

" DEAR REVEREND MOTHER :

" You'se a long time in that Spanish town, and its time
now to come home. You're needed here, for what's a home
without a Mother? You don't know them people over there,
and you'll get yourself into trouble with them. Instead of
coming home you're going backer and backer. You're send-
in' for them children here to go there and soon you'll empty
the house here. I've begged the Sacred Heart and Saint
Joseph to hold their arms over you, but they're tired now,
and can't do it no more, so take my Vice and come home,
you'se been away long enough."

" You know," she said to the scribe, " that chile has a
mighty 'tractive face, and she'll draw all them people to
her, and they'll make her b'live they're going to do much
and they don't do nothing."

This letter found its way into print, so with it we close

317

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

the history of Liza, whose remains are now peacefully rest-
ing in the little cemetery of Saint Michael's.

Mother Hardey's sojourn at St. Michael's abounded in
blessings for all ; for herself it revived happy memories of
her early religious life, and the varied joys and sorrows
which had left their impress on the years between 1825 and
1841. It would be monotonous to rehearse the benefits
which marked her passage in each house. She took pains to
explain to her daughters that she had come simply to see
and make known to the Mother General what would be of
service to them. She had noted in a little book, admirably
arranged, whatever she deemed useful or necessary for each
house, so that the good she planned was realized later on,
and lived after her. As Mother Hardey desired to shorten
her trip to Grand Coteau, she resolved to venture across
the Mississippi in a rowboat. Hardly was the frail bark
midway in the river when it was caught in an eddy, the
water threatening to sweep over them. She saw the
peril of the situation, yet neither word nor sign betrayed
her apprehensions, as she sat with tranquil mien reciting
over and over again the " Salve Regina." The oarsman
made superhuman efforts to keep on his course, and when
they reached the shore he thanked God for their preserva-
tion, as only a week before a boat had been engulfed in that
fatal spot.

Taking the train for Grand Coteau, Mother Hardey
found herself on the way to the home of her childhood, the
scenes of her school days and the cradle of her religious
life. Forty-seven years had elapsed since the memorable
day of her departure with Mother Aude for the foundation
at Saint Michael's. We can well believe that a nature so
strong in its attachments and so sincere in its friendships
must have been deeply moved by the sacred recollections
that rose at every turn, yet we are told that save on one
occasion her outward demeanor showed no signs of
emotion. Innumerable changes had taken place in the con-

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APPOINTED ASSISTANT GENERAL

vent, giving evidence of years of prosperity in the past,
and also of traces of the blighting touch of war. Wishing
to give her an agreeable surprise, the religious had trans-
formed into an oratory the room which had served as a
chapel during her school days, and had been the scene of
her consecration to God as a novice of the Sacred Heart.
The following extract is taken from the journal of the house :

" One day Mother Martinez invited the Reverend
Mother Visitatrix to visit the old house, where her happy
school days had been spent. She gladly acquiesced, but
great was her surprise on entering the corridor leading to
our improvised chapel, to find the community assembled
there and to hear the joyful notes of the Magnificat. For
a moment she paused, greatly affected, then passed into
the oratory and knelt on the prie-dieu before the altar. On
this occasion her emotion was visible, but when the song
of thanksgiving ceased, she turned towards us with her
usual composure, saying : ' Yes, it is here that I took the
veil, but in those days we had neither prie-dieu nor Mag-
nificat.' "

After a visit of eight days to Grand Coteau Mother Har-
dey returned to New Orleans, and three days later she bade
farewell to the South. She arrived in Cincinnati on June 4,
eve of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, and that evening she
gave a very impressive conference on the words, " Behold
this Heart which has loved men so much ! " " Your best
reparation," she said, " will be an unreserved devotedness
to the education of the pupils whom our Lord has confided
to you to be molded according to the spirit of His Sacred
Heart." Touching upon the mission of other Religious
Orders, she remarked, " Let us emulate them by striving to
instil into our children true Catholic principles, that the
spirit of the Sacred Heart may enter into their lives, and
enable them to resist the spirit of the world, which seeks
to destroy in souls the reign of Christ ! "

In order to secure for the community a healthful

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

change during the summer, she rented a small property in
the country where they could spend their vacation. On the
ninth of June she left them with her farewell benediction
the counsel, " Be zealous and humble and God will bless
you and your works."

The convents in Detroit and London, Ontario, had each
a visit of a few days, and after an absence of three months,
Mother Hardey returned to Manhattanville in time to assist
at the closing exercises of the scholastic year. A few days
afterwards she resumed her travels, going first to Kenwood,
where her young sister Pauline received her medal of gradu-
ation at the commencement exercises. Montreal, St. John
and Halifax rejoiced in seeing once more the Mother so
dearly loved. Although the steamer reached the harbor of
Halifax at midnight, Archbishop Connolly was waiting to
welcome and accompany her to the convent. The pupils
had dispersed for the vacation, but as soon as they heard
of her arrival they returned to the convent, and in a very
touching dialogue expressed their joy and gratitude at meet-
ing the Mother to whom they owed so many blessings.

Mother Hardey was again at Kenwood on the fifteenth
of August, when she had the happiness of admitting to the
novitiate her sister Pauline, then nineteen years of age.
During this visit she gave a conference to the community,
which was an outpouring of maternal love, and a strong
exhortation to fidelity to the obligations of religious life.
One of her daughters thus describes her impressions : " It
was as a novice that I listened to that never to be forgotten
conference, on ' Earnestness in the Service of God.' The
truths, the entreaties, the hopes that she expressed, fell like
words of fire upon my soul, and since then have ruled and
shaped whatever there has been of effort or of worth in my
religious life."

While she was still at Kenwood Bishop Hendricken
came to confer with Mother Hardey on the subject of a
foundation in Providence. He persuaded her to accom-

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APPOINTED ASSISTANT GENERAL

pany him thither, in order to examine the handsome estate
of Elmhurst, which was offered for sale. Mother Hardey
found the property admirably adapted for an academy, and
she promised to submit his request to the Mother General.

On her return to Manhattanville she made out the plan
of organization for the houses of her vicariate, and concluded
some important business matters demanding her personal
attention. The communities of New York and Manhattan-
ville, comprising about one hundred and fifty religious, were
assembled for the vacation. She granted to each one a
private interview, and at the close of the annual retreat ad-
dressed to her reunited families the farewell counsels in-
spired by her affection and zeal. Who can fail to realize that
it would have comforted her heart to communicate to her
daughters, at least to those most intimately associated
with her, that a separation was at hand, which was to be
broken only, if at all, for brief periods and at distant in-
tervals of time?

In guarding the secret of her sacrifice, Mother Hardey
denied herself the consolation which the love of her daugh-
ters would have offered, but she looked only to the Divine
Friend, and in His loving Heart found strength to bear
her heavy cross alone. Her silence and simplicity fill us
with admiration, yet, as if under the influence of her own
reserve, it is an admiration that turns in praise to Him who
formed in Mother Hardey a heart so like His own. She
embarked for France with her secretary and two postulants
for the Conflans Novitiate on the eleventh of September,
leaving to her daughters the example of her entire self-
forgetfulness, " as a lamp to their feet, and a light to their
path," while they walk in the way to heaven.

21 321

CHAPTER XXV.

MOTHER HARDEY ASSISTANT GENERAL IN PARIS — FOUNDA-
TION OF ELMHURST, PROVIDENCE — VISIT TO AMERICA —
RETURN TO FRANCE — APOSTOLIC SCHOOL — 1872-1876.

The appointment of Mother Hardey to the office of
Assistant General was announced by Mother Goetz in a
Circular Letter to all the convents, in the beginning of
October. We quote the following extract : " I feel keenly
the sacrifice which the withdrawal of Mother Hardey will
impose on the houses that have been long the special object
of her solicitude; but in calling her to the centre of the
Society, I have had in view the welfare of all our houses in
America. Being thoroughly acquainted with their re-
sources and necessities, she will represent their interests in
our councils, and will follow with us the development of
their works. Thus will she continue the mission of de-
votedness, the effects of which all have experienced during
the course of this year."

The news of Mother Hardey's permanent transfer to
Paris filled her daughters with consternation and grief, yet
their loyal acceptance of the decision showed how truly they
had profited by her life-long example of submission to the
voice of authority. Numerous letters were sent to the
Mother General voicing the sentiments of her American
families. We quote the following from the Mother Assist-
ant at Manhattanville : "We were far from expecting the
painful trial which the Heart of Jesus has imposed upon us.
It was difficult to believe the words of your letter, my Very
Reverened Mother, that you are going to keep our Rev-
erend Mother Hardey with you. However, I repress all
that our hearts feel at the prospect of this separation !
The community have shown a true religious spirit, in their
submission to the decision of obedience and have proved

322

ASSISTANT GENERAL IN PARIS

themselves worthy of the Mother whom they so justly
mourn. It is not merely a superior to whose guidance we
were confided, that we weep over; it is a mother who has
watched over our early religious life, soothing our sor-
rows, and smoothing our difficulties, a consoling Angel who
was ever near to give us strength and courage to persevere,
in spite of every obstacle. But with the example of her
abnegation and spirit of sacrifice before us, how could we
hesitate to obey. Her own heart must feel the sacrifice of
her daughters and her country, but we know her grand,
noble soul too well to believe that she will ever mani-
fest her feelings. We also must make our sacrifice cour-
ageously, for were we to consider our personal loss, we
should be unworthy of the example which our beloved
Mother has constantly given us. The thought that we are
laboring in union with her will stimulate us in overcoming
all obstacles."

It was thus that Mother Hardey's daughters struggled
against the promptings of their own hearts ; they laid at the
feet of their Mother General the " Fiat," which was the most
agreeable tribute of gratitude they could render to the
Mother whose loss they so justly mourned. Painful as
the separation was, they learned by degrees to appreciate the
blessings which the presence of their Mother at the centre
of the Society secured for them and their works. The one
most appreciated was the privilege enjoyed by the younger
religious of making their probation and profession at the
Mother House, and of acquiring at the fountain source the
true spirit of the Society, which they in turn would trans-
mit to their successors. In the beginning of Mother Har-
dey's sojourn in Paris, there was little to vary the monotony
of her daily life. As writing was impossible on account of
her paralyzed hand, her extensive correspondence was dic-
tated, or given in notes to her secretary, hence, apart from
the community exercises, her days were divided chiefly be-
tween prayer and reading, but her inaction was no less

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

fruitful for the glory of God and the good of souls, since
recompense is proportioned to merit, and true merit is found
in a will submissive to that of God.

The Mothers who surrounded her were deeply impressed
by that profound calm, that apparent forgetfulness of the
power she had wielded and the honor in which she had been
held in the wide sphere of her apostolate. Never by word
or look did she testify the least regret. Though she held in
faithful remembrance the needs of her American families,
and continued to watch over the souls she had guided, and
the works which were the outgrowth of her devotedness
and zeal, she gave herself entirely to the duties of the new
position in which God had placed her. Mother Goetz soon
learned to appreciate the worth of her new Assistant, and
sought to profit by her experience and her judgment in
determining matters of importance.

In the month of January, 1873, Mother Hardey was re-
placed as Vicar by Rev. Mother Jones, so well known and
appreciated by both religious and pupils. Her government
was a faithful copy of that of the Mother to whom she was
so loyally attached. She started the foundation of Elm-
hurst, for which Mother Hardey had obtained Mother
Goetz's permission, in January, 1873, and shortly after took
up her residence at Manhattanville.

In a previous chapter we mentioned with what pleasure
Mother Hardey had opened a foundation in Maryland, and
the difficulties which soon threatened its existence. The
privation of spiritual help still continuing, it was decided
to close Rosecroft and transfer the community to Elmhurst.
The following letter from Archbishop Bayley was received
too late to avert the decree of suppression :

" BALTIMORE, Oct. 17, 1873.
" MY DEAR MADAME HARDEY :

" You must excuse me for troubling you about our
affairs here, but I want you to beg the Mother General not

324

ASSISTANT GENERAL IN PARIS

to allow the establishment at Rosecroft to be broken up.
I regard it as a very important matter in the interests of
religion, especially in that part of the state, that it should
be maintained and permanently established. You know
how much the Catholics in the southern counties have suf-
fered, and how neglected they are. Rosecroft is a great
comfort to them. The very fact of the presence of a body
of religious ladies there, even if they had no school, would
serve, and does serve, to keep up the tone of things and do
great good. But in fact their school is getting along very
well. The place is beautiful and perfectly healthy; some
of the ladies who went there in poor health are now quite
well. Then it is, historically, a most interesting place, one
of the outposts of Catholicity, and I should feel ashamed to
have it given up, as if we had retreated before the 'enemy.
Now what I want, as I have already said, is for you to beg
of the Rev. Mother General, in my name, and as a special
favor which I ask of her, in the name of our Blessed Lord,
not to break up the place. I was, as you remember, one of
your first chaplains in New York. I was the cause of your
obtaining Manhattanville, and I think I have always taken
a lively interest in your Institution. I believe I have a right
to ask a favor. Rosecroft is a place that will draw a blessing
upon you, because it is a humble work that does good, as it
were, in secret. I could say a great deal more about the
matter, but it is not necessary.

" Please present my most profound respects to the
Mother General and believe me to be, my dear Madame,
with sincere regard,

" Your devoted and sincere friend,

" JAMES ROOSEVELT BAYLEY.

"Abp. of Baltimore."

It may seem strange to our readers that this heartfelt ap-
peal from the Archbishop failed to secure the desired effect.
The reasons are given in Mother Hardey's reply to the
Archbishop: ,2c

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

" PARIS, November 7, 1873.
" MOST REV. FATHER :

" Under other circumstances, a letter from your Grace
would have been heartily welcome, but the thought of the
disappointment which my answer will cause you, mars all
the pleasure of its receipt. Rev. Mother Jones must have
already informed you that Rosecroft's fate was sealed before
your letter or hers reached me. How could I plead for its
existence, dear Archbishop, when aware of the many priva-
tions our little community have suffered and would still be
exposed to suffer? The appointment of an aged chaplain,
who is authorized to offer the Holy Sacrifice only four times
a week at the convent, and on condition that his colleague
is not absent (and health and weather permitting), far from
offering any security for the future, is another proof of the
serious inconveniences to which the community would
always be more or less subject in their present location. I
can assure you that our good Mother General deplores even
more than I do, the necessity of withdrawing our religious
from Rosecroft, for nothing would give her greater pleasure
than to have the Sacred Heart established in the archdiocese
of Baltimore, if it were only under more favorable circum-
stances.

" With deepest gratitude, I recall our early days in New
York, when you were truly our friend, and the remembrance
of your constant devotedness will never be effaced from my
mind.

" Recommending myself to your prayers and presenting
Mother General's best respects, I remain, Most Reverend
Father, with profound esteem,

" Most respectfully and faithfully in C. J.,

" A. HARDEY, R. S. C. J."

The brief sojourn of the Religious of the Sacred Heart
on the historic banks of the Saint Mary's River had not

326

ASSISTANT GENERAL IN PARIS

been fruitless for the glory of God. Of the pupils educated
there, some are exerting an influence for good in their social
circles, handing down to a new generation the teachings
which they received in their convent home ; others are serv-
ing God in various Religious Orders, a good proportion as
Religious of the Sacred Heart. When the transfer was
made to Elmhurst about fifteen of the boarders accompanied
their mistresses thither.

Mother Goetz, appreciating the sterling qualities of her
new Assistant, resolved that her wide experience should be
turned to account for the welfare of the French houses. For
this purpose she sent her to visit several of the convents.
Mother Hardey's first journey was to Orleans, where she
had the happiness of meeting again her old friend and
daughter Mother Jouve. We find in one of her letters to
Mother Barat the following passage, which shows how
much she felt the loss of this good Mother, when sent
to the Southern Vicariate : " She was my confidant, my only
support; I could not make a greater sacrifice than that of
losing her, but, my venerable Mother, say only the word
and I will give you all the others." This visit was a mutual
consolation for the two friends and a great pleasure for the
Orleans community, so happy to make the acquaintance of
the American Assistant General.

In the month of May the ill health of Mother Goetz
necessitated a visit to the south of France, and she took
Mother Hardey with her to Pau, in the Pyrenees, where
a foundation had been recently made. Mother Har-
dey devoted herself to lighten the burden of her Superior
General in every way possible, and she was the life of the
recreations, relating in the most charming way amusing and
interesting anecdotes which sometimes brought tears of
laughter to Mother Goetz's eyes, even when her suffering
was intense. An unlocked for blessing was granted them in
a pilgrimage to Lourdes. As the restrictions of enclosure
were not yet fully enforced the Bishop of Bayonne made

327

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

them visit Lourdes to plead for the restoration of the health
of Mother Goetz, whose condition gave cause for alarm.

It afforded the pilgrims unspeakable joy to pray on the
spot once hallowed by the visible presence of the Immacu-
late Virgin, and to witness the spectacle of devout throngs
drawn thither by their unbounded trust in the power of our
Lady of Lourdes. Mother Hardey's most fervent petitions
were in behalf of the Mother General, but the latter was not
inspired to ask for a prolongation of life, her aspirations all
turned heavenward. However, the prayers of her daugh-
ters obtained an amelioration of her sufferings, and Mother
Hardey had the consolation of bringing her back to Paris
much improved in health. The respite from pain was, how-
ever, of short duration. Worn out prematurely by excessive
work and suffering, Mother Goetz expired on January 4,
1874. Her death was deeply felt by Mother Hardey, who
had become very much attached to her. Mother Lehon was
elected third Superior General, May 6, 1874.

One of Mother Lehon's first acts was to send Mother
Hardey to America to attend to business matters of great
importance for the Manhattanville property. Early in
July Mother Hardey left Paris, and her arrival in New
York was hailed with unbounded joy by her religious
families and devoted friends. The two years of separation
were forgotten in the happiness of her presence, as each
house in the vicariate welcomed the Mother so dearly loved.
She took pains to impress upon her daughters that her mis-
sion to America was to make known and revered the new
Superior General ; the task was an easy one, we may well
believe, since this Very Rev. Mother had given such a strik-
ing proof of her love for her American families.

A painful accident somewhat marred the joy of this
visit. In January, 1875, while calling to see one of the
pupils in the Manhattanville infirmary, a vessel of boil-
ing oil, which was near "the bed of the little sufferer, was
upset on Mother Hardey's foot, burning it to the bone ; but

328

1 Convent Elmhurst, Providence, R. 1.

2 Former Convent, Massachusetts Ave., Boaton

ASSISTANT GENERAL IN PARIS

although the pain was excruciating, with her usual self-
possession, she would not move until cloths had been
brought to wipe off the oil, so that her foot might not stain
the couch prepared to receive her. This accident kept her
confined to her room for several weeks, but she utilized this
period of inaction in making the acquaintance of the
younger members of the community, to whom she gave
counsels of instruction and encouragement, bestowing on
them special marks of maternal interest. Mother Hardey's
words of advice were few, but always to the point. They
have been treasured by her daughters and collected in a
little book of Maxims, which will serve to perpetuate her
memory to succeeding generations.

It was during this visit to America that she established
the Tabernacle Society, in connection with the Sodality of
the Children of Mary. Having been invited to preside at one
of the meetings, she spoke to the ladies of the good accom-
plished by the society in the European convents and urged
upon them to come to the relief of poor churches by devot-
ing their time and their money to the making of vestments
and altar linen. The suggestion at first met with opposition,
as the interests of the Society centred in their efforts to re-
lieve the poor, as far as their resources would permit, but
she was not discouraged. With a limited number who en-
tered into her views, she opened the first sewing meeting,
having supplied the materials and confided the direction
of the work to Madame Lieber, a religious fully competent
to insure its success. She continued to assist at the weekly
reunions, until she felt that it was established upon a per-
manent basis. The Annual Reports of the Society show its
marvelous growth, and the vast extension of its benefits to
needy missions.

In March, 1875, Archbishop McCloskey was raised to
the dignity of the Cardinalate, to the great joy of the Amer-
ican Catholics. Celebrations of a social and religious char-
acter followed and, before the close of April, Manhattan-

329

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

ville became the scene of an ovation in honor of his Emi-
nence. In the address, delivered by one of the pupils, a
vivid picture was presented of the struggles and triumphs
of the Church in America, " since the day when the op-
pressor's hand was lifted from the nation's heart, and from
the heart of the Bride of Christ we look fondly back," said
the speaker, " to that day of small beginnings, heroic deeds,
blessings granted, and dangers passed. Ah ! well may we
blend religion's note of praise with our country's triumphant
song, for in the glad retrospect we see but the shining links
of hope fulfilled, of brave endeavors crowned, of sacred
memories which have blossomed and borne their golden
fruit."

In replying to the filial expressions offered him Cardinal
McCloskey said, with characteristic grace and suavity,
that a part of the history of the past was left for him to
retrace, that of recounting the works of Mother Hardey
and her daughters, since the day of " small beginnings " for
the Society of the Sacred Heart in the Archdiocese of New
York. The delicate allusions of his Eminence to Mother
Hardey's share in the good accomplished called forth an
outburst of applause from the reverend clergymen present,
and it was some minutes before the general enthusiasm sub-
sided. The event left an unfading memory ; but even amid
the joys of the occasion, hearts were sorrowing, for the
Mother, so worthily honored, was soon to leave for her dis-
tant home.

On the twentieth of April she bade farewell, her own
heart weighed down by the additional sacrifice of leaving
behind her the faithful secretary and companion of her
travels for nearly a decade of years, and as the steamer was
slowly receding from the shore, she clasped the hand of her
new secretary with maternal goodness, and in silent sym-
pathy as if to say, " Let us be generous in our sacrifice."
On her return to France Mother Hardey became greatly
interested in the founding there of a good work, known

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ASSISTANT GENERAL IN PARIS

as " Oeuvre des Apostoliques," or Apostolic Schools. Its
object was to provide for the education of young girls who
desired to embrace the religious state, but whose families
were unable to defray the expenses of their education.
Mother Hardey's design was to educate subjects, not only
for her own Institute, but for any of the Congregations de-
voted to the instruction of youth. For this end she sent a
certain number of young girls to the convent at Beauvais,
and they became in very truth her adopted children. She
provided for their needs, rejoiced in their success, and en-
couraged their efforts to prepare themselves for their ex-
alted mission. Funds were needed, however, to carry on
the good work, so she applied to the houses in New York
to assist her in raising the required amount.

" I cannot tell you," she wrote, " how much I take this
work to heart, nor how truly I shall appreciate your efforts
to contribute to its support." She suggested a variety of
ways by which aid might be secured, and accepted with
grateful joy every gift that could be utilized for her
cherished enterprise. In the selection of the applicants
Mother Hardey was sometimes deceived, for several young
girls on the completion of their studies relinquished their
aspirations for a higher life, and a few even caused keen
sorrow to their benefactress. Though her plans were never
fully realized, she persevered in carrying on the good work
and had the consolation of knowing that over twenty of
her dear " Apostoliques " had devoted themselves to the
service of God in various religious orders.

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CHAPTER XXVI.

MOTHER HARDEY VISITS HOUSES IN SPAIN — HER GOLDEN
JUBILEE — SECOND VISIT TO AMERICA — 1876-1878.

As Mother Hardey was familiar with Spanish, she was
sent by the Mother General, in 1876, to visit the convents
in Spain. She left Paris with her secretary on the nine-
teenth of February, and after a brief halt at several of the
houses in France, arrived at Perpignan, where they took the
diligence which was to convey them across the Pyrenees,
" Reverend Mother was so enchanted with the grand spec-
tacle of the mountains," writes her secretary, " that she for-
got the fatigue of the journey, but I think her heart was all
the time lifted up in prayer, and even on the heights of the
Pyrenees the sad story of a lost cause enlisted her deepest
sympathy. The army of Don Carlos had just surrendered,
and detachments of the conquered troops passed us on the
way, fleeing across the frontier to seek refuge in France, or
some other foreign country. Spain was in a state of political
agitation and a rigid inspection of luggage was therefore
enforced on the frontier village of Jungera, but our trunks
were not opened, owing to the kind intervention of our trav-
eling companions, chief among whom was an officer in the
army of King Alphonso. Whenever a halt occurred in the
journey he was at her side to offer assistance, and seeing
this other officials pressed forward with added courtesies.

"On arriving at the hotel in Figueras we were conducted
to the handsomest apartment, and served as travelers of
the highest distinction. The next day we heard that Rev-
erend Mother was believed to be Queen Christina trav-
eling in disguise, and so the honors she received were marks
of respect intended for the grandmother of the Spanish
King. She reached Barcelona on the twenty-eighth of Feb-
ruary, and was joyfully welcomed at Sarria by Mother Al-

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entado, one of her former daughters in Cuba and Manhat-
tanville. Mgr. Lluck, Bishop of Barcelona, whom she had
known in Cuba, hastened to join his greetings to those of
the family of Sarria, saying, it afforded him great pleasure
to meet in Spain one who had done so much good for the
interests of religion in the New World."

After a visit of three days she went to Saragossa to open
a house in that city. The account of the share which she
took in the inconveniences attendant upon a foundation,
reads like a page from the annals of her houses in America.
She was most earnest in her exhortations to the commu-
nity to rejoice because all around them was a silent in-
vitation to love and honor holy poverty. The journal of the
house records that the pupils were delighted with the nov-
elty of meeting an American Mother, and were deeply
impressed by her great kindness and interest in their wel-
fare. From Saragossa she went to Madrid, where she vis-
ited the palace of the Duke of Pastrana, as there was ques-
tion of establishing a second convent in that city. Seeing
she was much pleased with the property His Highness
graciously presented it as a gift to the Society, and the fol-
lowing year the foundation was made. In a short time this
establishment became the centre of numerous good works.

" Returning to Sarria," continues the secretary, " we
passed near Manresa and made a pilgrimage in spirit to the
spot sacred to the memory of Saint Ignatius. An incident
of this part of our journey alarmed me greatly. A man
wearing the uniform of a cavalry officer, revolver and sword
at his side, forced his way into the coach reserved for us.
His sinister glances seemed to imply that he was no friend
of religious. I remarked in an undertone to Rev. Mother
that the weapons he carried must have dealt many a fatal
blow. What was my astonishment to hear him mutter in
English a comment on my words. I was terribly frightened,
but Rev. Mother kept her usual composure, though she
afterwards acknowledged she had been somewhat afraid.

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It was then dark, but providentially we soon came to a halt
and a party of English tourists entered and were our travel-
ling companions for the rest of the journey. Before our
departure from Sarria the children of Mary of Barcelona
assembled at the convent to offer Rev. Mother their good
wishes and present her with some handsome gifts for the
altar, as a memento of her visit to Spain. On the twenty-
seventh of March, after the choir had sung Quid Retribuum
in thanksgiving for the blessings of this visitation, we start-
ed on our homeward journey."

Many beautiful testimonies to Mother Hardey's worth
show that her character was appreciated, and her kindness
held in grateful memory by the religious in Spain. " I shall
never forget," writes one, " that great simplicity and strong
religious spirit which Mother Hardey united in so high a
degree. There appeared in her two qualities, which at first
seem contradictory, a childlike candor, with the intelligence
and experience of age, and the ripest virtues. She made our
recreations delightful, as she spoke of America, of Havana,
of our Mother General, and the ' dear Centre.' "

Another says : " I had long known Mother Hardey by
reputation, having heard of the impression she made in
Havana. Once a Mexican gentleman, while praising her
great qualities, said to me, ' If Madame Hardey were only
the Minister of our poor distracted country, how soon she
would restore order there.' Another writer, referring to
her extraordinary memory, says : ' A former pupil of the
Havana convent then a religious in Spain, expressed her joy
at meeting our Reverend Mother, who, recognizing her,
addressed her by the familiar name she had borne in her
family and made inquiries for her sisters.' Many were
impressed by the affability and gaiety of her conversation
and the spontaneity with which she introduced at short in-
tervals a thought that lifted the heart to God, and all found
her eager to render a service, when it was in her power
to do so."

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On her return to France she stopped at Perpignan and
assisted at a meeting of the Children of Mary, who had
prepared for the occasion a display of their work for poor
Churches. She examined the exposition with marked inter-
est and made notes of certain features which might prove
suggestive to the Children of Mary in New York. After a
brief visit to the convents of Toulouse, Bordeaux and Poi-
tiers, she reached Paris on April 4, after an absence of seven
weeks. In the month of May she received news from Man-
hattanville of the sudden death of her young sister, Madame
Pauline Hardey, a novice, whose health had given cause for
uneasiness, though there was no serious apprehension of
danger. When the cable came announcing the sad news
it was a great shock to her, but the sorrow was accepted
with that profound submission to the will of God, which she
manifested in every circumstance of her life. As in all
such trials she went to the chapel, passed an hour with the
Divine Consoler, and then quietly returned to her accus-
tomed duties. To those who offered sympathy she calmly
said : " Lena's death is not a cause for sorrow, but rather
for joy, for I know she is now united to the Society in
Heaven."

During July she accompanied Mother Lehon in her
visits to the houses in Brittany, going first to Saint Brieux,
to assist at the dedication of the new convent church,
thence to Rennes and Laval, and finally to Quimper. The
annual letters of these houses mention in glowing terms
the impression given by her affability and devotedness to
the Society. During the Christmas holidays she contracted
a severe cold, which resulted in gastric fever and kept her
confined to her room during the winter, but she had re-
covered sufficiently to assist at the celebration of her golden
jubilee of first vows, on March 15, 1876. Mother Lehon
expressed her desire that the event should be fittingly com-
memorated, and as Mother Hardey was now well known
in Europe, the jubilee was of general interest throughout

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

the Society. The preparations went on so quietly that the
beloved jubilarian believed the day would happily pass
unnoticed. Her surprise was therefore very great when, on
the evening of the fourteenth, Mother Lehon presented
her with eleven cablegrams from America. Her first ex-
clamation was, " All this money wasted." The following
are some of the messages received :

" Warmest congratulations and blessing. — Cardinal Mc-
Closkey."

" United by love and gratitude, America and France hail
your Golden Jubilee. Fifty years of virtue, sacrifice and
noble works will ever shed lustre on the name of Madame
Hardey. — Bishop Conroy."

" Congratulations from all, and fifty Masses from Rev-
erend Friends."

" Heartfelt congratulations and earnest wishes for every
blessing. — J. L. Spalding."

" We sing the glories of thy fifty years ! — Professor Car-
mody."

" Your children's hearts are with you. — New York Chil-
dren of Mary."

" Respectful congratulations from your loving children.
— the pupils of Manhattanville."

" The love and gratitude of Kenwood blend in the heart-
felt greeting your children send. — Kenwood pupils."

The American probationists having arrived about the
end of February, all the vicariates were represented except
Louisiana. By request of the Mother General Rev. Mother
Jouve, the former Vicar of Louisiana, was present from
Orleans at the celebration. All enjoyed Mother Hardey's
surprise at seeing her. The American novices from Con-
flans and the American pupils at the rue de Varennes were
present at the Mass next morning. At nine o'clock there
was a grand family reunion in the probation hall. Mother

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VISITS HOUSES IN SPAIN

Hardey was deeply moved by the address in French, but
when the " Greeting from America " was read by an Amer-
ican probationist, she could not restrain her tears, At the
conclusion of the address another advanced and presented,
as a donation for the Apostolic School religious, a chaplet
of gold coins, each coin representing some good work of the
half century just completed. We give in full this heartfelt
expression of her children's devotion as described in the fol-
lowing lines :

America to France a greeting gives,

Tis sent by loving hearts across the widespread lands,

And borne across the widespread seas by loving hands;

A greeting joy and triumph make so sweet,

That it should fall like music on your ear,

And lie like festal flowers round your feet!

O Mother ! all our heart is with you on this day,

And all our soul is in the words we say:

Praise and glory be to God for fifty sacred years!

Yes, fifty years, whose record writ in gold

Is traced along the realm from deep Canadian snow

To where the tropic island's balmy blossoms blow,

And all the shining letters tell of toil and prayer

Of souls redeemed to Jesus' love again.

Of hopeful faith and endless patience everywhere !

We read the record through our happy tears to-day,

And all across the sea our voices make their way —

Praise and glory be to God for fifty sacred years !

A lifetime chaplet clasps around our God

Its fifty sparkling beads so softly, gently told,

Each counted by its prayers, each made of thrice tried gold.

Each " Gloria " some monument to Jesus' Heart ;

Your life, dear Mother, was all " Aves " to His love—

The glory His, the sweetness ours, the pain your part.

Not cloisters only, countless Christian homes

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

Should bless the hand that gave them life's celestial ray —
Praise and glory be to God for fifty sacred years!

Unseen we all are kneeling by your side,

0 Mother, whom our love forever calls our own,
The best and truest Mother we have ever known.
Each heart among your children in your native land,
Bows joyful, tearful down in spirit here,

To ask the tender blessing of your voice and hand.
The seas divide us not, O Mother, on this day,
Our hearts and yours are one, as we together say,
Praise and glory be to God for fifty sacred years.

It was not at the Mother House only that a celebration
was held. Innumerable friends in two hemispheres united
in the joy of the day. In the American convents, the
most significant feature of the occasion was the Sacrifice of
Thanksgiving offered upon the altars raised by Mother
Hardey to the honor of the Sacred Heart. Everywhere
a holiday was granted to the pupils. At Manhattanville
Rev. J. L. Spalding, later Bishop of Peoria, delivered a
panegyric in which we find an admirable delineation of
Mother Hardey's character.

" We have been drawn together to-day," he said, " my
sisters and my children, by our affection and admiration for
one who has consecrated her whole life to the Sacred Heart
of Jesus, of whom, were it not for the day and the occasion
which constrain me, I should not presume to speak, know-
ing how displeasing to her is even the sincerest praise. Yet,

1 will speak, for absence gives in a measure the privilege
of death, and in the sanctuary of the family, surrounded by
the friends and children whose hearts outstrip my words, I
may be allowed a certain liberty, and even though I prove
unskillful, yet shall I be excused for my good will.

" We are thanking God for a life which has had no
other object than His honor and glory. Why do fifty years
seem so long and so worthy of special commemoration, but

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because life is so short? And thus in the midst of gladness,
a sad thought comes to us, and our joy reminds us of
our misery. What a heavenly privilege to have given all
those years to Jesus! In the very first blush of maiden-
hood to have turned from the world, in all the freshness of
a mind and heart untaught by sorrow, from the earliest
dawn until evening, to have watched for the coming of Him
who alone is worthy !

" What changes have come over the world in these fifty
years ! When Reverend Mother Hardey brought her youth
and all her hopes and laid them at the foot of the Cross
religious life was scarcely known in this country. There
were but few religious communities and they were poor,
their life seemed cold, for here and there only was found
a heart strong enough to lean on God alone. Forty years
before her entrance into the convent there was not one
religious woman in all this broad land who had devoted
herself to God's special service. What a benediction to
her to-day is the thought of the change which has come
over religion in this country. This in itself is a recompense
of no small value to know that God has blessed the labor
in which she has taken so important a part. Yes, a hun-
dredfold, a thousandfold, His blessing rests upon the work
of His Servant. When the venerated foundress of the
Society of the Sacred Heart sent Madame Galitzin to
America she said : ' There will be many crosses for you in
America, but be patient, firm ; gentleness and patience are
especially necessary.' Such were the words of Mother
Barat. Certainly she could not have described more per-
fectly the character of that woman who was chosen to be
the chief instrument in building up the Society of the Sacred
Heart in America, Reverend Mother Hardey.

" She has that firmness which springs from a character
naturally just ; from that strong good sense, which is often
genius, yet better than genius. She has a soul that scorned
all that is low and unworthy. These natural qualities trans-

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formed and purified by grace have made her a power, a
force of divine efficacy in organizing the Society which is
leading many of the best and noblest souls in America to a
higher life. She is a strong woman. To know her is to
feel her strength. That the religious life is made for feeble
souls no one in her presence would dare even to imagine.
The gentleness with which her firm rule is tempered comes
from strength. The strong know how to be patient. They
know, too, that the great power to influence men is love and
sympathy. In the Church, above all in religious life, love
only attains the highest. Not force, but the charity of the
Heart of Jesus, warms the souls of men. This has been, as
all who know her can testify, one of the marked character-
istics of Mother Hardey's dealings with those over whom
she has had authority. She was born to rule, but to rule by
the power of love and gentleness. A particular knowledge
of men and affairs is one of her most remarkable gifts, as
it is most essential to all who are called to the difficult
mission of directing others. She is rarely mistaken in her
estimate of character, and as seldom fails to grasp all the
details of even the most difficult enterprise. Hence, what
she undertakes to do is done.

" She inspires confidence and always finds willing help-
ers. Full of courage herself, she makes others brave. Her
sense of justice is so strong that no one questions her judg-
ment, or hesitates to abide by her decisions; while the
generous devotion of her children is the best evidence of
the warmth and sympathy of her maternal heart. Absence
is the severest test of friendship, but you, my sisters and
my children, will bear me out when I say that it has no
power to cool the ardor of your love for Reverend Mother
Hardey, and this, while it is most honorable to yourselves,
is the noblest testimony to her own true worth and exalted
virtue. One who though absent for years is still present
by the respect and veneration she inspires, needs no eulogy.
Let us, therefore, kneeling around this altar, before which

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she has so often prayed, unite with those, who in two hem-
ispheres, are keeping this festival. Prostrate before the
Heart of Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament, let us
thank Him for all the graces with which He has 'endowed
her, and supplicate Him to render her still more worthy
of His love and to preserve her yet many years to those
who love her, that she may continue to be a minister of
blessing to those who love Him."

This joyous feast left lasting memories on both sides of
the Atlantic, and for the beloved jubilarian it was fraught
with consolation. Alluding to all that had taken place she
said with her accustomed simplicity, " Truly, this day was
so touching that I would have liked to weep, if you had
given me the time."

Fifty years of labor, zeal and devotedness to the good of
others had passed and gone, but who can measure the store
of merits laid up in the treasury of Heaven, and though her
future will be less active in appearance it will not be less
fruitful in its mission of prayer and sacrifice. Her apostle-
ship now included the European houses, in whose welfare
she took a maternal interest, and she ably seconded the
Mother General in her visitation of the houses of Conflans
and the rue de Varennes, where her kindness to the Sisters
completely won their hearts.

In September, 1877, the Mother House witnessed one of
those assemblies which, from time to time, make it a faint
image of the " Upper Room " in Jerusalem, where the
Apostles awaited in silence and prayer the coming of the
Holy Spirit. The superiors from sixty houses in vari-
ous parts of the world met for the purpose of making a
spiritual retreat, under the guidance of Rev. Father Fes-
sard, S.J., well known for his wise and enlightened direction
of souls. Mother Hardey followed the exercises, but it was
painfully evident to her American daughters that her health
was rapidly failing. They begged the Mother General to
let her return with them, assuring her that the voyage and

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a sojourn in her native air would restore her vigor. Anx-
ious to prolong the life of her devoted assistant, the Mother
General gave her consent, though it cost her much to part
with her.

Mother Hardey and her party sailed from Liverpool on
the 2Oth of October in the Russia, and after a stormy voy-
age of fourteen days landed in New York. " When a hun-
dred miles from port," writes her secretary, " we encoun-
tered fierce head winds and cross seas, which continued
with unabated severity for eight days. On the ninth day
our ship narrowly escaped foundering owing to a hurricane
which sprang up towards nightfall and lasted more than
twenty-four hours. The scene was appalling. Great foam-
ing waves towered around us, struck the vessel with ter-
rific force, and threatened to engulf it within a grave of
angry waters. There was no rest for Reverend Mother
during the passage, yet each morning she rose early and
began the day with an hour's meditation. Indeed, the
greater part of the day was given to prayer, while her per-
fect calmness and self-possession inspired courage into
many a sinking heart. When asked how she could be so
tranquil in presence of imminent danger, her reply was,
' God rules the sea as well as the land ; on both sides of the
Atlantic prayers are ascending to Him for our safe journey;
why, then, should I be afraid? ' '

The sad forebodings which had filled the hearts of her
daughters by the delay in arriving, gave place to unbounded
joy and thanksgiving when the news of the Russia's ar-
rival was announced. The telegram was received at Man-
hattanville while the religious were reciting Matins in choir.
At the close of the Office, Rev. Mother Jones entoned the
Te Deum and all understood that their loved Mother had
safely reached the American shores. In spite of the dangers
and fatigue of the past fortnight, the indefatigable Mother
did not give herself time for rest. The morning after her
arrival at Manhattanville she was in her accustomed place

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in the chapel at half-past five, and was present all day at
the community reunions, saying that life in common with
her daughters was the best means for recovering her health.
However, an order from the doctor imposed the rest so
much needed, and at once she submitted with childlike obe-
dience. But the sequel proved that it was in labor, not
repose, that she was to regain her health.

To the younger members of the community she de-
voted an hour each day, placing before them the high
ideals of their sublime vocation. " Look beyond the things
of sense," she said, " and see the spirit created to the
image and likeness of God. Our holy rule tells us that
' the children are the most precious treasure that the
Heart of Jesus can confide to us,' that we should be as
' mothers to them.' How earnestly a true mother seeks the
highest interests of her child ! With what devotedness we
should fulfill our part in the education of our pupils. With
what care and solicitude we should form their character,
correct their faults, develop their intelligence, train their
hearts, in a word, labor to mould them into true children of
the Sacred Heart.

" ' Beware of yielding to a repugnance to your duties in
the class-room. Put your whole heart into your work, and
thank God for your privilege in laboring for souls. The
most dreaded punishment Our Lord can impose upon a
Religious of the Sacred Heart is to withdraw her from
apostleship with the children, and we may bring this pen-
alty upon ourselves by our lack of devotedness, our in-
efficiency, or even our inequalities and asperities of charac-
ter. Be of the number of those convenient religious who
can be used by superiors in any capacity, whose glory it is
to wear out, not to rust out ! ' '

These and similar counsels were repeated by Mother
Hardey in her visits to the other convents. Indeed, it
seemed that the purpose of this second visit to America was
" to prepare for the Lord a perfect people," to mould the

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new generation in the spirit and rules of the Institute. The
Congregations of the Children of Mary in New York and
Philadelphia were also the objects of her interest, and she
gave a new impetus to all their good works, especially that
for the relief of poor churches. After spending some time in
each house of the New York Vicariate, she went to Canada
in the month of May. Here, again, it was a mother return-
ing to her daughters, and her farewell was a rallying cry
of " Love of the Heart of Jesus," " Fidelity to Rule." " You
have in these," she said, " a pledge of happiness in this life,
and for that better one where partings are unknown."

During the triduum, before the Feast of the Sacred
Heart, Mother Hardey gave several beautiful instructions
to the Manhattanville community. We give some extracts.
Speaking of the necessity of " Renovation," she says :
" Everything in the world has need of renewal, because
everything has within itself the germ of decay, hence the
necessity of a religious renovation, which means a renewal
of fervor, of fidelity in pursuing the end of our vocation.
The law of sterility, of advancing age, is attached to per-
sons and things, and leaves its impress all too soon. So is
it in the moral order. There is a decline which fastens itself
upon our thoughts, our desires, our sentiments, even our
holiest resolutions. Hence the necessity of having spiritual
things presented to us in a novel manner, because novelty
makes a stronger impression on us. In the physical world
there are particles of dust constantly settling upon every-
thing. These atoms at first are invisible, but after a time
they are plainly seen. Something similar takes place in the
moral world. If we penetrate deeply into our souls, we
shall see them tarnished by the dust of nature, or the dust
of the world, even though we have given a portion of time
daily to the removal of this dust, nay, even if we abhor its
approach. Hence the necessity of occasionally making a
more thorough examination of our spiritual condition, our
actions and their motives, that we may cleanse our hearts

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VISITS HOUSES IN SPAIN

from all that may displease the eye of Our Lord and Master."

In another instruction, she made a very detailed exam-
ination of conscience, as follows :

" Upon the exact observance of the Rules and Constitu-
tions depends the success of the Society. Let us see how
far we have contributed to this success since our last reno-
vation. We will go through the daily regulation :

" i. Do we obey the call for rising, lovingly, promptly?
Our Rule is one of love. There are no punishments im-
posed on those who break it, except the remorse of their
own conscience.

" 2. Do we make our meditation in the spirit of the So-
ciety and of the Rule, spending the hour exclusively with
Our Lord, studying His Divine Heart, learning from Him
especially the great lessons of meekness and humility?
After our meditation are we more zealous, more humble,
more submissive to God's will?

" 3. Do we assist at the Holy Sacrifice, the greatest act
of the day, in the spirit of the Church?

" 4. Are we faithful to the spirit of God and do we act
for His love and glory?

" 5. Devotion to the Sacred Heart is the essence of our
vocation; it should be our only passion. Do we instil it
in the hearts of our children, and is it our means of gaining
souls ?

"6. Are we mothers in our dealings with the children?
Do we reprove them in a motherly way?

" 7. Have we a real zeal for science, as well as for
sanctity? Are we mistresses of what we teach? Do we
ever disedify our children by an exhibition of temper, of
worldliness, of sarcasm, of vanity?

"8. Do we obey in a spirit of faith, seeing God in our
superiors, and His will in their commands? Have we any
dispensations that are not necessary, from any rule or cus-
tom of the Society. Do we lead the common life in regard
to food, clothing, lodging, careful to guard against the in-

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clinations of nature to seek satisfaction rather than religious
discipline?

" 9. Is holy poverty really treated as a mother, and do
we give it marks of our esteem and of our affection when
opportunity offers? Are we careful of the goods of the
house, faithful to ask the necessary permissions for things
in our use, for giving, lending, borrowing, etc.? Do we
waste things ourselves, and permit the children to waste
food, materials, paper, etc. ? Do we permit them to destroy
or injure the furniture, waste time, neglect the proper care
of articles given for their use, money, stationery, clothing,
etc., etc.? All these points come under our vow of poverty,
or at least under the exercise of the virtue.

" 10. If we wish to do good to the souls of our children
we must begin by being fervent, obedient and faithful ob-
servers of our own obligations.

" ii. Is our heart free, detached, or do we cling to nat-
ural affections, whether of blood or of friendship? Purity
of heart requires the sacrifice of particular affections. Our
hearts are made to love. If we do not love Our Divine
Lord wholly and without reserve we will seek for the love
of the creature, and when we yield to that weakness we run
great risks. Particular friendships have been the cause of
nearly all the defections in the Society. Other reasons may
be given, but when the case is well examined it is usually
found that lack of obedience, failures in poverty, have all
taken their rise in the gratification of natural affections,
which neither superiors nor the rules could sanction, hence
dissatisfaction with religious restraints, and at last disgust
with religious life.

" 12. How do we keep silence? Our Mother Foundress
says where there is no silence there is no recollection, no
interior life. This liberty of the tongue is the cause of end-
less evils, murmuring, complaints, criticisms, remarks
against charity, etc. Examine whether it is really ' with
your whole heart ' that you are going to renew your vows.

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VISITS HOUSES IN SPAIN

You must not merely recite the formula, you must realize
its meaning. Take each word in turn and reflect seriously
before Our Lord upon its import. Who am I? What am
I about to do? Then, continue with the words which fol-
low and do not forget that you have taken your vows ' ac-
cording to the spirit and rules of the Society,' not according
to your views nor your spirit."

It is not surprising that this blessed visit of Mother
Hardey was looked upon as " the passage of the Lord," for,
like her Divine Spouse, she had come to cast the fire of her
own ardent zeal into the hearts of her daughters. The
day of departure came all too soon. On the eve she gave a
conference, in which she seemed to pour out the sentiments
of her loving heart. " I will give you but three words,"
she said, " but with these three we shall be able to go very
far in the way of perfection. The first is ' Love of the
Sacred Heart/ a generous, trusting love, hopeful of obtain-
ing all that it asks ; a love which will lead us to have recourse
to that Heart in every necessity, for we naturally apply to
one we love, whom we know to be able and willing to assist
us. Love of the Sacred Heart is our vocation. Love means
sacrifice, and sacrifice cements friendship, and friendship
makes of two hearts but one !

" Our second word is, ' Love of the Rule ' ; that Rule
which has been approved by the Holy See, so highly praised
by the masters of the spiritual life, so faithfully practiced
by our Mother Foundress and her first companions. By
the Rule we shall be judged. Therefore, we should refer
all to it; measure the value of everything by its standard.
Consult it in doubt or perplexity, be guided by it in all our
undertakings and occupations, and in every circumstance,
before every action ask ourselves, Is this according to Rule?

" The third word is also ' love,' ' love for one another.'
The Rule tells us that ' Charity is the bond which unites
among ourselves and with those in authority.' This love is
the consequence of the first two. We must love one an-

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

other as Our Lord loves us. Ah ! if He loved only the per-
fect, He would love very few. Therefore, let charity unite
us all as one in the Heart of Jesus. To assist us in attaining
this blessing Our Lord has sent us to-day a precious book,
the ' Life of Mother Duchesne.' You will find there the
spirit she brought to this country. You will see what her
sufferings and her love of the Cross have purchased for us.
It is my desire and my earnest prayer that you may learn
from her heroic example to labor generously for the love and
the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, by your love for the
Rule, and your love for one another."

Like the Apostle of Charity Mother Hardey left to her
daughters an adieu of love. She sailed for France on the
1 8th of July, bearing with her the regrets, the veneration
and the devoted affection of her religious families and
friends.

348

CHAPTER XXVII.

MOTHER HARDEY CHARGED WITH THE PROBATIONISTS — VISIT

TO BELGIUM — DEATHS OF RELIGIOUS IN

AMERICA — 1878-1880.

It was always with additional joy that Mother Hardey's
return to France was welcomed. She had identified herself
so completely with the interests of those around her, that
her absence was keenly felt. One of the Sisters who had
lost her father some months previous, was deeply touched
when, on alighting from the carriage, the Reverend Mother
called her aside, saying, " I heard of your sorrow, and I
prayed and asked prayers for the soul of your dear father.''
The sorrows and joys of others always found a place in her
faithful memory. Soon after her return Mother Lehon
gave her a new proof of her confidence, by confiding to her
the charge of the probationists of the September term.
Though Mother Hardey pleaded her unfitness for the re-
sponsible position Mother Lehon judged differently, so,
obedient, she humbly submitted.

The period of probation preparatory to the final vows,
or profession, forms, as it were, a long retreat of six months,
during which the probationist reviews the past, and, under
the direction of an experienced guide, gathers strength for
the future, in recollection, prayer and profound study of the
Rules and Constitutions of the Society. We find an echo
of Mother Hardey's teachings in " the notes," which one of
her probationists collected day by day during those blessed
months. We give a few extracts:

" The probation is the school of the heart, a time of prep-
aration, but first of all of reparation. At the end of five
years or more of active duty in the school and elsewhere
both body and soul are fatigued, it almost seems as if we
can hold out no longer, then God calls us apart, the Society

349

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

brings us to the ' centre/ in order to renew our strength, to
mould us anew in the spirit of the Constitutions, to give us
an opportunity to repair the past and to prepare for the
future, where the combat will last without intermission
until our arms rest in death. Do not desire perfection for
its own sake, nor the correction of your faults in order to
be rid of them; no, we must seek perfection through the
supernatural motive of love, because it is the will of Him
whom we desire to love above 'everything else.

" Learn to know yourselves and all that has been lacking
in your religious spirit hitherto. Souls that are soft and
cowardly are a heavy cross to the Society. Light, frivolous
characters cannot form others to virtue. Despondent char-
acters are worse than all others. No one knows how to
take them. If corrected they become discouraged, if left,
to themselves, they are hurt. The best character is the
generous, unselfish nature that lets itself be moulded in
the spirit of the Society, and notwithstanding defects, con-
tinues to grow daily in the love of the rule and the faithful
observance of all it enjoins. Perfect obedience is impossible
without complete indifference to persons, places, employ-
ments. Have faith in the grace of obedience. It is often
the fear of not succeeding that makes us allege our in-
capacity."

Among so many beautiful and practical explanations of
the Rule, we find it difficult to make selections. Poverty,
Obedience, and, above all, Charity are treated at length, and
in so simple and convincing terms that one cannot fail to
profit by the lessons taught. The notes on education are
particularly helpful. Mother Hardey enters into the de-
tails of daily intercourse with the children, pointing out
the obstacles to be met with in the exercise of authority,
maternal interest in the pupil's welfare, and the supernat-
ural spirit which should animate all their dealings with
souls. Speaking of the vow they are preparing to take of
consecrating themselves to the education of youth, she

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MISTRESS OF THE PROBATION

says : " The first disposition necessary for this important
work of the Society is the spirit of Faith. This disposition
is indispensable in order to do good, but still more so, in
order not to do harm, for the effect of our action is never
indifferent. The children are a precious trust given us by
Our Lord, and in our hands it must be a fruitful trust. When
you have to deal with children who are difficult, ungrate-
ful, repulsive even, do not forget that they are a sacred
trust. Have with them a patience which nothing can alter,
the same patience that Our Lord has with you. You must
always approach souls with respect.

" Purity of intention is your safeguard. In success it
will make you attribute all to God; in failure, it will keep
you from being discouraged and make you continue to
work as earnestly as before. Your vigilance must be kind,
straightforward, incessant and maternal. Be vigilant in re-
gard to the studies and the health of the children, but, above
all, in regard to their innocence. Vigilance should not be
anxious or suspicious. Do not place sentinels everywhere.
Inspire the children with the fear of God and love of duty,
this will do much better. Vigilance that is suspicious vexes
and wearies the children and tempts them to do the very
thing you suspect, and which, perhaps, they had no previous
intention of doing.

" Sometimes, even while watching them, leave them a
little latitude, let some things pass unnoticed. Do not re-
prove them in public. Correction should never be bitter, nor
should it be made when either mistress or child is excited
or impatient. Wait, pray, place yourself under the action of
God, then speak, but do not raise your voice. Never employ
expressions that would make a child think you are hurt
personally. Correction should never be haughty or con-
temptuous. It should be grave, firm and kind. The child
should always feel that it comes from the love of a mother.
It is your duty to correct sometimes even with severity, but
a child must never leave you without having herself recog-

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

nized her fault, and your having spoken a word of kind en-
couragement and affection. They must always be able to
say of you, as was said of Mother Foundress, even after a
severe reprimand, ' Oh ! how good she is ! '

" In your surveillance be straightforward, employ hon-
orable means, never listen, never pretend anything in order
to learn the truth, it were better to remain in ignorance of
it. In general, unless you have seen a thing done, do not
reprove a child until you have asked her, ' Have you done
so-and-so?' If she denies it, do not insist even if you are
almost sure she did it. If she deceived you she will come
back and tell you so, especially if you have said to her kind-
ly, ' I am glad you did not do it, and I hope you never would
do such a thing/ If you go about it rightly you can save
the children from committing many faults "

We will close our gleanings from Mother Hardey's in-
structions with her remarks upon this passage of the Rule :
" By the grace of their vocation they are called to union and
conformity of their hearts with the Heart of Jesus. It is
from that Heart that they must draw the esteem and love,
as well as the spirit and form of all the virtues, but more
especially those that are the object of their vows. We
must esteem what Our Lord esteems, and despise what He
despises. Consequently, we must esteem poverty, chastity,
obedience, mortification, charity. We must despise, or at
least we must attach no importance to birth, wealth, or ex-
terior gifts of mind or body. The spirit of the world is
diametrically opposed to the spirit of our Lord. He did
not come down to earth for the rich, but for the poor. He
speaks rarely to the rich, He always speaks to the poor. If
we do not esteem His virtues we will not love them, and
if we do not love them we will not practice them.

"A religious imbued with the spirit of the world, and
destitute, therefore, of solid virtue, does much harm. A
Religious of the Sacred Heart must be another Christ. She
must possess His spirit and be directed always and every-

352

MISTRESS OF THE PROBATION

where by it. Jesus was meek and gentle, He was modest
and simple and humble. We must never speak in a man-
ner that is arrogant or proud. There must be no levity,
no affectation, no self-sufficiency in our manner. Why do
we win so few souls? It is because we have not the spirit
of Jesus, poor, humiliated, crucified, nor have we the form of
His virtues, which is to be studied in prayer and exercised
in practice, for then only shall we win hearts to His love."

The last month of the probation is devoted to a spiritual
retreat, during which the soul withdraws from creatures to
be alone with God. Mother Hardey tells the probationists
to make for themselves a solitude in the Heart of Jesus.
" Let that Heart be your cell wherein you will dwell with
your Divine Spouse and learn His will in regard to your
future. The retreat must be for you a time of active, in-
terior work, of deep self-introspection, of study of the great
truths of salvation, of the life of Him to whom, as the Rule
says, you " must be conformed in sentiment, affection and
will." She urged the exercise of a practical judgment and
great generosity in making the resolutions which are to
shape their future lives. " Remember these resolutions must
be sacred to you through life. They must be sufficiently
strong to withstand temptation. Let them be based upon
Our Lord's assurance of help. He is faithful to His word."

In the month of June, 1879, she accompanied Mother
Lehon in her visits to the houses in Belgium. One of these
is situated near the village of Jette Saint Pierre, so called
on account of a painting in the parish church, representing
St. Peter casting his net at the command of His Divine
Master. Advantage was taken of the name of the convent
to heighten the charm of the welcome tendered to the
Mother General. At the close of a dialogue, in which the
history of the Society of the Sacred Heart was rehearsed, a
little bark was seen moving over the billows of time steered
by the Fisherman who guides infallibly the destinies of the
Church. A sound rose upon the waves, a voice breathed

23 353

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

low and sweet, " Jette Saint Pierre," a net was spread over
the simulated waters and a fish caught in its meshes. It
was carried to the Mother General, who found that it bore
a veritable dispatch from the Vatican, the special blessing
of Leo XIII. to the Mother General on her visit to Jette,
the convent so dear to the heart of His Holiness, for while
Papal Nuncio in Brussels Monseigneur Pecci took a special
interest in the pupils of Jette, among whom he established a
literary association, under the title of the Academy of
Honor.

According to the Statutes, which were drawn up and
signed by his hand, the candidates for admission were re-
quired to distinguish themselves by their piety, their assi-
duity in study, in domestic economy, and their ability in
treating the subjects proposed by the Academy. Mon-
seigneur Pecci deigned to preside at the meetings and to
constitute himself the judge of the literary merits of the
essays presented. At the last meeting, before his departure
from Brussels in 1846, the members offered the expression of
their gratitude and their regrets in a simple dialogue, a copy
of which was presented to him at his request. Nearly half
a century later, three hundred representatives from the con-
vents of the Sacred Heart in Rome assembled at the Vatican
to offer their congratulations to Leo XIII. on the occasion
of his Golden Jubilee. Towards the close of the audience,
the Holy Father drew from his pocket a roll of manuscript,
then called two of the pupils to stand before him, and hand-
ing one a paper, said, " You will be Marie," and to the other,
" You will be Helene, now read aloud your parts." It was
the copy of the dialogue which had been recited at Jette
Saint Pierre, and which His Holiness had preserved through
all the eventful years that followed his promotion to the See
of Perugia. How touching the tenderness and faithful
memory of Leo XIII. !

After spending a fortnight in Belgium the Mother Gen-
eral and Mother Hardey returned to Paris, and a little later

354

MISTRESS OF THE PROBATION

Mother Hardey made a tour of the houses in the north of
France. In the month of July, the Society of the Sacred
Heart received with joy and gratitude the announcement
that the first stage in the process of Canonization of their
beloved Foundress, Mother Barat, had been reached. She
had been declared Venerable by the Holy See on the i8th.
Among all the first daughters of the saintly Mother Barat,
few could experience such happiness as filled the heart of
Mother Hardey. Her letters of this period to her Ameri-
can families, are eloquent exhortations to the practice of
those virtues so dear to the heart of their Venerable Mother.
She took the greatest interest in the celebrations which
were held throughout the Society on the centenary of the
birth of Mother Barat, December 12, 1879, m accordance
with the wishes expressed by a circular letter of the Mother
General. In all the houses of the New York Vicariate im-
pressive religious services were held, followed by social
rejoicings in all the schools. Ingenious representations,
literary and artistic, rehearsed the life of the Servant of
God, and when the day ended, precious memories of its joys
remained in the hearts of mothers and pupils throughout the
Society.

The following year, several of Mother Hardey's Ameri-
can daughters were called to their final reward. First
among them was Mother Boudreau, who, as we have
already seen, shared Mother Hardey's labors in the Eastern
States for over thirty years. She had been successively
Mistress General and Superior of Manhattanville, and, later,
of Eden Hall. In 1872 she was appointed Vicar of the
Louisiana province, and four years later was named to fill
the same position in the Missouri province. The earlier
pupils of Manhattanville remember with gratitude her lov-
ing care. Trained by Mother Hardey, her first effort was to
make the pupils happy ; after that she set to work energet-
ically to form their minds and characters that they might
become pious, useful, cultivated women. Her great desire

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

was to win hearts, but, in winning them, she passed them on
to God.

She often said to the mistresses, " Watch out for the
good qualities of a child, spare no effort in cultivating them,
and then her defects will die a natural death." An act of
charity on the part of Mother Boudreau led to the estab-
lishment of the Society in New Zealand. While superior
at St. Michael's, La., she sheltered in a house on the
convent grounds two Marist fathers who had been attacked
by yellow fever. One of them, Rev. Father Goutenoir,
being sent after his recovery to New Zealand, carried to
his new home grateful recollections of his kind benefactress.
When, a few years later, the question arose of founding a
convent in Timaru, he proposed to Bishop Redwood of
Wellington to invite the Religious of the Sacred Heart.
The suggestion was favorably received and a petition was
sent to Mother Lehon. The Mother General acceded to the
request, and asked Mother Boudreau to select the little band
of missionaries from the Missouri province. With un-
bounded joy the latter, having obtained permission to ac-
company her daughters, set sail on the centenary of the
birth of Mother Barat. On February i, 1880, she assisted at
the laying of the corner stone of the new academy in
Timaru, and the next day she opened a free school under
the auspices of Our Lady's Purification. This was her last
work of zeal. She was already suffering from the pre-
monitory symptom of a climatic fever, and in a few days her
life was despaired of. When told by her sorrowing daugh-
ters that the supreme hour was at hand, she exclaimed,
" What a mystery, that I should have come here to die, and
my mission not yet accomplished ! " Then she added with
great earnestness, " If Our Lord sees that my death can
avail aught for the good of this foundation, I willingly,
gladly offer my life for its success." On the loth of Febru-
ary, strengthened with the grace of the Last Sacraments, she
renewed her vows, made an humble reparation for the

356

MISTRESS OF THE PROBATION

faults of her life, blessed her daughters and the families of
her vicariate, then yielded up her soul into the hands of her
Creator. She had always an extreme fear of the judgments
of God, yet when summoned to her last account, her spirit
went forth with a childlike confidence in the mercy of Him
whom she had faithfully served from the days of her youth.

The news of her death was a great sorrow to Mother
Hardey, and the loss of this dear Mother, so well known
throughout the United States, was deeply deplored. An-
other death, long and deeply regretted by Mother Hardey,
was that of Mother Annie Keller, the loved and lamented
Mistress General of Manhattanville. She was the sec-
ond eldest of four sisters who consecrated their young
lives to the Master's service in the Society of the Sacred
Heart. Mother Annie's gentle virtues and enthusiastic de-
votion to the Blessed Virgin, under the title of Mater Ad-
mirabilis, gave her a happy influence in the schools of Ken-
wood and Manhattanville, but it was especially in Phila-
delphia, as Directress of the Children of Mary, where she
exerted an apostleship of zeal, in promoting the good works
of the Sodality, that her memory is held in religious venera-
tion.

The year following her decease, Manhattanville sus-
tained another loss in the death of Mother Catherine White,
who was noted for her scholarly attainments and her effi-
ciency in promoting the educational interests of the New
York Vicariate. Besides teaching and preparing the
younger religious for the duties of the class room, she de-
voted herself to the compilation of text-books, which have
since been adopted, not only by the academies of the Sacred
Heart and other Catholic institutions, but also by many
secular schools throughout the country. As we close this
chapter, still another name rises to our memory, that of
Mother Elizabeth Tucker, one of Mother Hardey's most
active associates in the early days of Manhattanville. All
in her character reflected a grand type. Born in England

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

in 1809, of an ancient Catholic family, she inherited the
valiant spirit of her ancestors, who had clung to the Faith,
through ages of persecution.

From the time of her arrival in New York, in 1842, her
name became identified with the progress of the Society of
the Sacred Heart, in both the Eastern and Western States.
Manhattanville, Eden Hall, St. Louis, Chicago, Philadel-
phia, all bear witness to her energy, enterprise and execu-
tive ability. Yet it was probably as an educator that
Mother Tucker's influence was most sensibly felt and appre-
ciated. Her superior gifts of mind fitted her in a special
manner for the training of youth. She knew how to impart
all that varied culture so necessary to adorn, elevate and
sanctify social and domestic virtues. But her first care was
to implant in the hearts of the children the solid foundation
of faith, fear of God and horror of sin. She then led them
gently to the love of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
thereby preparing them to meet the dangers of the world.
No matter how multiplied might be her occupations, she
always reserved to herself the privilege of teaching the first
division of Christian Doctrine.

The Philadelphia priests of her day used to say that
they could always recognize Mother Tucker's pupils among
their penitents. Many houses of the Society are still reap-
ing the fruit of her devoted labors, but nowhere is her name
held in such veneration as at Eden Hall. All there brings
to mind her zeal in behalf of education, and her love for
the House of God. The academy, the beautiful Gothic
church, the wayside shrines, the woodland cemetery, all
are associated with Mother Tucker's memory, and when
her earthly mission was accomplished, and the sudden sum-
mons came, on the Feast of the Visitation, July 2, 1881, her
mortal remains were laid to rest in the peace of that beau-
tiful Eden home, so rich in recollections of her holy life.

If we have dwelt upon the careers of the religious men-
tioned in this chapter, it is because they seem to form

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MISTRESS OF THE PROBATION

a part of Mother Hardey's history. It was her training
and example that stimulated them to labor generously in the
service of their Institute. Space will not permit of our
recalling the lives of many others who shared her noble
aim, the drawing of souls to God, by the saving influence
of devotion to the Sacred Heart.

359

CHAPTER XXVIII.

MOTHER HARDEY VISITS ENGLAND AND IRELAND — SUPERIOR

OF THE PARIS DAY SCHOOL — LAST VISIT TO

AMERICA — 1880-1884.

During the Paschal Season of 1880, Mother Hardey ac-
companied Mother Lehon in her visits to the convents in
England and Ireland. She acted as interpreter for the
Mother General, and interested herself in all that concerned
the welfare of the houses in the British Isles. She was
particularly impressed by the faith and piety of the Irish
children, and in her visits to the free school, she made the
little ones supremely happy by her maternal goodness. The
lay Sisters were the special object of her interest. She gave
to each one the same devotedness and charity which ever
marked her intercourse with her American daughters.
Whatever could render their employments less laborious,
was sure to engage her solicitude, and, whenever possible,
she introduced the fruits of her wide experience in the do-
mestic arrangements of the houses she visited.

We are told by Very Reverend Mother General Digby,
that a remark made by Mother Hardey during the visit to
Roehampton left a lasting impression upon her. " When-
ever you propose a difficulty to our Mother General," she
said, " have the remedy prepared to offer her, in order to
spare our Mother the fatigue of finding the solution." This
advice reveals Mother Hardey's delicate consideration for
her loved superior, whose burden she strove to lighten
whenever it was in her power to do so.

On their return to Paris, Mother Lehon requested
Mother Hardey to take charge of the day school, adjoining
the Mother House. Her government there, as elsewhere,
might be summed up as a ministry of kindness and charity.
One of her daughters writes : " Reverend Mother's guidance

360

VISITS ENGLAND AND IRELAND

was a strong foundation for the beginning of my religious
life. When I arrived at the Externat, she received me with
maternal goodness, and assigned to me certain duties with
the parlor boarders. I had many difficulties to overcome,
but I felt that her desire for my success was proportioned to
the obstacles that I met with. What she sought above all
else was my progress in religious perfection, and she began
by compelling me to overcome my timidity. Neither criti-
cisms, nor reproaches, were spared, to form me for my posi-
tion. Her own life was a revelation of the nobility of obe-
dience. I was frequently edified on hearing her say : ' I am
not able to give you an answer, I will ask our Mother Gen-
eral. I am here only to carry out her wishes.' Her fidelity
to the rule served as a living example to us, and by the
delicacy of her kindness she soon gained all hearts."

Another writes : " Seeing my eagerness to know more
about American life and scenery, Reverend Mother tried in
various ways to gratify my desires. If I made inquiries
about any special writer, or noted places, she was sure to
present me a few weeks later with a book containing the
needed information. Her vigilance extended everywhere.
During the recreation hours, she often assisted at the pupils'
games, and called our attention to what should be exacted,
or forbidden."

Mother Hardey took a maternal interest in the parlor
boarders. Indeed, it was owing to her initiative that this
class of pupils had been admitted. The work was abnormal,
and it presented unforeseen difficulties, but her patience and
tact conquered the impediments to its success. The greater
number of these pupils were Americans, and they loved
Mother Hardey and trusted in her with filial confidence.
She devoted herself to the formation of their characters,
and, by her motherly counsels, encouraged and prepared
them for future needs.

Her charities were dispensed with a delicacy which in-
creased their value. Hearing from a friend that a woman in

361

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

great want was ashamed to ask for succor, she employed
her as seamstress at the convent and managed to aid her to
earn extra money by chaperoning the parlor boarders.
Americans in Paris often appealed to her for help. On
one occasion an afflicted youth from Syracuse, N. Y., made
known to her his pitiable condition. He had crossed the
ocean to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes, hoping to obtain
the cure of his paralyzed arm and leg. By the time he
reached Paris his funds were exhausted, but he determined
to continue his journey as best he could, feeling sure a
miracle awaited him.

Mother Hardey defrayed his expenses and occasionally
sent him an alms during the weeks he spent at Lourdes.
Letters, touching in their simplicity, reached her in return.
"I keep calling on the Blessed Virgin," he wrote, " but she
seems to be deaf to my appeal. I suppose I must believe
what you say, that it will be for the good of my soul, if I
am not cured." The hoped for miracle was not obtained,
but the poor fellow received the grace of resignation to his
painful cross, and through the charity of Mother Hardey
he was enabled to return home.

" When Reverend Mother wished to obtain a particu-
lar favor," writes her secretary, " her charities were re-
doubled, and when the favor was granted, her thanks
found expression in new acts of benevolence." She did not
like to see money spent on floral offerings, either to herself
or to the religious. " They are very beautiful, it is true,"
she once remarked, " and they certainly speak to us of God,
but how much better to give the price of them to God in
the poor." In accordance with this, when the pupils
gathered around her on the Feast of St. Aloysius to offer
their greetings, they presented provisions for the poor, the
fruit of their little sacrifices, and linen for the altar, the
work of their own hands.

As soon as she received a gift, her heart suggested its
destination. The infirm and the aged were the special

362

VISITS ENGLAND AND IRELAND

objects of her solicitude. The Sisters frequently re-
marked, " Reverend Mother is just like our Mother Foun-
dress, she can never do enough for the sick." " I was at
one time suffering," writes one of the Sisters, " from a
sprained wrist, which no remedy seemed to help. ' Since
no one can do anything for you/ said Reverend Mother,
' I will see what I can do.' She spent a quarter of an hour
daily bathing and rubbing it, and in a few weeks it was
cured. There were times when I hesitated to enter her
room on account of the lateness of the hour, but she never
failed to send for me, insisting that I must submit to the
treatment until there was no pain left."

" One who looks upon the sunset," we are told, " will
have his face golden." As Mother Hardey's soul was ever
turned toward the Sun of Justice, it is not surprising that
her life reflected a charity all Divine.

The earlier half of the decade from 1880 to 1890 was a
period of rapid expansion for the Society of the Sacred
Heart, especially in the New World. The foundation in
New Zealand was followed by another in Buenos Aires.
Academies were opened in Boston, New York City, Omaha,
Grosse Pointe, Michigan, San Francisco, Porto Rico, Mex-
ico and Australia. That of Mexico was of special interest
to Mother Hardey, as Monseigneur de la Bastida, who in-
vited the Religious of the Sacred Heart to Mexico, had been
her guest at Manhattanville while in exile.

In 1882 Mother Hardey was sent to New York, for the
purpose of saving the Manhattanville property. The en-
croachments of the city threatened to interfere not only
with the privacy of the grounds, but even with the exist-
ence of the buildings, as streets had been mapped out to
pass through the principal entrance. It was evident that
the realization of these plans -would force the religious to
abandon Manhattanville, and many friends of the convent,
seeing no alternative, advised an immediate purchase of
property in another locality. This measure, however, was

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MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

opposed by Mother Hardey. The Institution had kept pace
with the growth of New York, and having acquired a na-
tional reputation, she believed that change of name, as well
as change of place, would prove detrimental to its interests.

All instinctively turned to her, as the only one competent
to avert the threatening danger. Mother Lehon shared this
opinion, and when the necessity of action became impera-
tive, she decided that Mother Hardey should return to New
York. In her humility, the latter proposed another, as she
foresaw that the undertaking would require the strongest
personal influence. She alleged that the friends who had
formerly assisted her were no longer there, and that she
could not hope to win the favor of strangers. But the
Mother General held to her decision. Mother Hardey then
repaired to Conflans, to spend a day near the tomb of
Mother Barat, in order to commend to her intercession her
difficult mission. On the I2th of August she embarked at
Liverpool, accompanied by her secretary, and other Ameri-
can religious, and on the 2Oth reached New York.

" If miracles are to be wrought," says an American
author, " it will be by putting our hands to the work in a
simple, undoubting frame of mind, without so much as
knowing we are about to perform a wonder. And then the
marvel is not so much made by us, as it grows under our
hands and out of our hearts, God working thus through His
creatures." It was in this " undoubting frame of mind,"
because her trust was in heaven, that Mother Hardey set
about the accomplishment of her appointed mission.
Scarcely had she arrived at Manhattanville when friends
came forward with the most cordial proffers of assistance.
They even tried to make her feel that the acceptance of their
services would be a much appreciated favor. Those who
had counselled the transfer of the academy now adopted
her views, that every effort should be made to keep the
property, and, if possible, induce the city authorities to
change their plans.

364

VISITS ENGLAND AND IRELAND

Long and wearisome negotiations followed, leaving at
times but faint hopes of success. But the marvel was
wrought. Mother Hardey decided upon a division of the
land, opening streets through the lower end of the property,
and building a row of cottages along the line of a street
mapped out on the plan of the city. With her wonderful
foresight, she proposed the sale of land on the three sides
of the convent grounds, where streets and avenues would
likely be opened, and by her judicious management the In-
stitution she had founded was once more saved.

Though occupied with the pressing business which had
brought her to America at the opening of the scholastic
year, she gave her customary explanations of the rules
and regulations of the school for half an hour daily during
two or three weeks. It was her last active service in the
work she loved so much, the education of youth. This ex-
planation, annually repeated in the presence of religious and
pupils, secures discipline, and binds together mistresses and
children as a family in the Sacred Heart. At her first con-
ference, opening the volume before her, she said : " The best
laws would be of no avail, if not observed, hence the title of
this book, ' Rules and Regulations of the Academy of the
Sacred Heart.' The rules are there, and the regulations are
made to secure their observance. The rules of the school are a
contract, between the teachers, your parents and yourselves.
We promise your parents to watch over your health, to cul-
tivate your minds, to correct your faults, and to teach you
how to love and serve God. Your parents promise that you
will be faithful to your part of the contract, otherwise we
would not receive you. Your first obligation is to learn the
rules, that you may know what is required of you ; and the
second is that you observe the rules, for we require nothing
that is not for your good. The book which I hold says,
' By the exact observance of the rule, the children will
merit the beautiful title of Children of the Sacred Heart.'
Ah ! how you should prize that title ! Ask the former pupils

365

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

of Manhattanville, ask the former pupils of any of our
schools whether they are happy to be called ' Children of
the Sacred Heart/ You know well what their answer
would be."

After other preliminary remarks, Mother Hardey said:
" On entering the school of the Sacred Heart, the pupils
become members of a large family. In a family, all is in
common, so when you enter here, your interests become our
interests, your joys our joys, and your sorrows, I hope you
may have none, but if you have, you will find true mothers,
ready to share them with you." The pupils were so touched
by this assurance that two hundred voices cried out spon-
taneously, " Oh, thank you, thank you, Reverend Mother."

On this idea of a family she based her instructions. " To
secure peace and sympathy in a family," she said, " it is
necessary that all its members have the same manner of
acting, of judging, and of viewing things. In order to do
this, we are obliged to correct our defects. We are all born
with passions which must be subdued, evil inclinations
which must be controlled. The combat we are obliged to
carry on against our fallen nature is often a terrible struggle,
but it is meritorious in the sight of God, and of absolute
necessity, if we wish to be members of a well ordered
family." Dwelling upon the virtues essential to the forma-
tion of character, she said : " Charity is the holy influence
that should cast its spell over your lives, making you gentle,
patient, forgiving, quick to see the virtues of others, ready
to excuse their faults, strong to crush self-love and generous
to sympathize in the joys and sorrows of others." She
dwelt very impressively upon the evil of gossip, sarcasm,
unjust criticism, all of which tend to wound the family
spirit. She enjoined restraint of the tongue as a safeguard
against sin, and a power in the acquisition of self-control,
and finally showed how charity was the distinguishing trait
of a true child of the Sacred Heart.

In regard to the respect due to parents and those who

366

VISITS ENGLAND AND IRELAND

hold their place, she said : " You do not know what you
have cost your parents, nor what sacrifices they are im-
posing on themselves for your sake. You will never be
able to repay the debt of gratitude and love you owe them.
Try, then, to be so docile while at school, that the habit of
obedience may make you loving and dutiful children in your
own homes." Commenting on the vigilance exercised over
them, she said : " You are never alone ; your mistresses are
with you day and night; like your Guardian Angels, they
never lose sight of you."

Dwelling upon the branches of study included in the
plan of education, she showed how they tend to mold the
character and enlighten the mind. She urged them to pur-
sue their studies through high motives. " You will have to
render an account to God of the talents He has given you.
Study through a sense of duty, to please your heavenly
Father, to gratify your parents and to become useful, happy
women."

" Religion," it has been said, " is man's supreme effort
to rise above nature and his natural self; it gives him a
definite aim and an absolute ideal." This was the grand
truth which Mother Hardey endeavored to convey to the
young souls looking up to her for light. " Let your religion
be practical," she said. " Your faith must find expression in
works. To the grateful heart prayer is a necessity, to the
loving heart it is a joy." We find the sequel to these in-
structions in the conferences which she gave about the same
time to the mistresses. " Remember you are consecrated to
the education of youth," she told them. " Your profession
is not one that you are at liberty to take up or abandon at
pleasure. Education begins with the heart. Never try to
force or drive a child, lead her by means of gentleness and
religion. Your rule tells you that you must instill into the
hearts of your children the fear of God and horror of sin,
a horror not only of grave faults, but of all that could tar-
nish the beauty of their souls. Be living models of the vir-

367

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

tues you seek to implant in their hearts. You must your-
self love study, if you wish to give your children a love for
it. We cannot impart what we do not possess. Understand
well that your own education is never finished, therefore
continue daily to cultivate your minds, that you may be
better fitted to cultivate the minds of your pupils. They
will be just what you make them, and you will make them
just what you are. Such a mistress, such a child."

At the opening of the year 1883, she gave her daughters a
motto full of inspiration for souls that are pledged to glorify
the Heart of Jesus : " Let all your actions during this year,
be performed for the Sacred Heart, in the Sacred Heart and
with the Sacred Heart. Devotion to the Sacred Heart
should be your only passion."

When the business affairs of Manhattanville permitted,
Mother Hardey paid a brief visit to the other houses of the
New York Vicariate. The joy of her welcome at Clifton was
overcast, because two of her devoted friends came not, as
formerly, to give her cordial greeting. The Very Reverend
Edward Purcell had died the preceding year, and his vener-
able brother, the archbishop, was nearing the close of his
life at the Ursuline convent in Brown County, where he
died on July 4, 1883. The sad events which had marked the
closing years of these two friends, elicited Mother Hardey's
deepest sympathy.

Her tender compassion for the sick, led her to establish
a convent at Atlantic City, where, under the influence of
pure air and sea-bathing, her invalid daughters might re-
cover health and strength. She herself opened the academy
and attended to all the details of the foundation. As there
was no Catholic school on the island, she made plans for
the erection of a free school, which later on was so well
patronized that about one hundred and fifty pupils were in
attendance.

As the year advanced Mother Hardey seemed to grow
more and more eager to render service to others. Briefly,

368

VISITS ENGLAND AND IRELAND

but impressively, she sought to animate her daughters to
ardor in the service of God, exhorting them " to glorify the
Sacred Heart of Jesus in word and work. Be faithful to the
duties of your vocation, kind and gentle to your sisters,
mothers to the children, and serious in the pursuit of your
perfection." Her acts of kindness and charity were daily
multiplied. Wherever there was good to be done, or hearts
to be made happy, she was sure to seize the opportunity.
The following characteristic letter of Reverend Father Ful-
ton, S. J., shows the writer's appreciation of Mother Har-
dey's worth :

"DEAR REV. MOTHER: "BOSTON, Jan. 11, 1884.

" Coming home this afternoon I found your splendid gift
of altar cloths of which I had heard nothing previously. I
think you mean them for St. Inigo's. I shall therefore send
them to the place upon which you have already showered
benefits. It will please you to learn that our enterprise
there is well carried out by the incumbent, Father Walker,
that St. Inigo's will bloom once more. According to the
fashion in Boston (my home), New Year's congratulations
run through the month of January. I avail myself of this
privilege. You have already, Rev. Mother, won perhaps the
first place in our Catholic history. You must not be satis-
fied. Cicero said to Caesar : ' You may have lived long
enough for yourself, you have not lived long enough for
your country and your glory.' You, dear Rev. Mother, have
not lived long enough for your Order and for us. So, with-
out scruple, I pray for you the Spanish thousand years of
life. I am, dear Rev. Mother,

" Yours most gratefully,

" ROBERT FULTON, S. J."

Mother Hardey was at this time suffering from a
severe attack of bronchitis. As her lungs gave cause
tor anxiety, her physician prescribed absolute rest and

*4 369

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

silence. At his next visit he inquired, " Madame, does it
pain you to talk ? " " How do I know, doctor," she an-
swered, " you told me not to speak ! " To his amazement
the doctor learned that for more than twenty-four hours
the obedient invalid had made known her wishes only by
signs. " Ah ! Madame," he exclaimed, " if all my lady pa-
tients were as obedient as you, it would be easy to cure
them."

Mother Hardey recovered from this attack, but the re-
prieve was followed by another illness, still more serious,
congestion of the liver. At first the symptoms were very
alarming, but skillful treatment arrested the progress of
the disease. As soon as she was a little better the invalid
requested the doctor to hasten her cure, as she wished to
sail for France on the I3th of February. " Impossible," he
replied. " Madame, it is madness for you to entertain such
a project. You would risk your life, even if you were well,
by crossing the ocean at this season." With her usual
calmness she answered : " Doctor, what seems madness to
you is obedience for me, therefore, I count upon your skill
to make me well enough for the voyage."

Mother Lehon had announced the convocation of a Gen-
eral Council for the close of February, and she had ex-
pressed the desire for Mother Hardey to attend it. To
Mother Hardey the wish of her superior was an indication
of the will of God, and she determined to obey. When some
of her daughters reiterated the physician's warning they
were silenced by her usual assurance, " If God wills it, He
will give me the necessary strength." To test her condition
she took a trip to Atlantic City, where she remained a few
days. She then returned to Manhattanville to prepare for
her approaching departure. It seemed a great risk in her
feeble condition, but her daughters dared not oppose her.
They felt, however, that this would be her last farewell to
America, and it was with grieving hearts that they listened
to her parting words : " Be faithful to Rule, be humble in

370

VISITS ENGLAND AND IRELAND

heart, and you will glorify the Heart of Jesus in time and
in eternity. On February 13, 1884, accompanied by the
American vicars and her new secretary, Madame Crasser,
Mother Hardey sailed for France, weak in body, but strong
in spirit, determined to accomplish the Divine Will, even
at the cost of life itself.

371

CHAPTER XXIX.
CHARACTERISTIC VIRTUES OF REVEREND MOTHER HARDEY.

While following Mother Hardey's long career the
thought has continually recurred to us, that she is best
studied in the Rules of her Institute. " To secure to the
Heart of Jesus the worship of love and adoration, to make
known Its divine attractions and to imitate its virtues,"
such was the grand purpose of her life. In two words she
once sketched the portrait of a true Religious of the Sacred
Heart, " One who has the zeal of an apostle, and the love of
a spouse." This was a faithful outline of her own soul.
The outward manifestation of her love gives us the key to
her inner life. One evening before retiring, she asked for
her meditation book, and opening the volume she read,
" Heart of Jesus, Ocean of Goodness, have Mercy." After
a moment's reflection she returned the book, saying, " That
will do ; I find all in that one sentence." It was true, the
goodness of the Sacred Heart was her abiding thought, the
source of all her inspirations, the strength of all her enter-
prises. Her devotion found its truest expression in an abid-
ing sense of the presence of God. Her duties demanded
great activity, much travel and frequent intercourse with
the outer world ; yet her spiritual exercises always took pre-
cedence of every other claim. They were never omitted,
never abridged, but usually prolonged. Who that ever saw
Mother Hardey before the Blessed Sacrament could forget
her profound reverence? It was the hour of intimate com-
muning with the Beloved of her soul, the spouse at the feet
of the Bridegroom, the apostle at the side of the Master,
rekindling the fire of zeal. The hours spent before the altar
were truly the hours of study and contemplation. And
what were the lessons learned? The works of her life give
answer. The virtues whose example forms a rich inherit-

CHARACTERISTIC VIRTUES

ance for her daughters found their inspiration and virility
in the silence of the sanctuary.

Prayer was a necessity to her grateful heart, a joy to her
loving heart, and when she had finished her devotions, and
passed out from the chapel, she still appeared to breathe the
atmosphere of the sanctuary, the serene and glowing counte-
nance, the joined hands, the measured step, all betokened
her intimate union with the Beloved of her soul. On one
occasion a religious who entered her room as she returned
from the chapel, was so startled by the heavenly light which
illumined her countenance, that she stood gazing at her
without uttering a word. Mother Hardey waited a few
moments for her to speak, then quietly said : " Sister, if you
have no other business than to look at me, you may go ! "
The religious left the room, still under the influence of that
supernatural light, and having mentioned the circumstance
to one of the Mothers the latter assured her that it was
not at all unusual, as she and others had frequently re-
marked a similar radiance when their Mother returned from
prayer.

" Perfection," says Cardinal Manning, " consists in the
illumination of the intellect, the sanctification of the heart,
and the union of the will with the will of God." Light,
holiness and submission were the precious fruits which
Mother Hardey gathered in prayer. In one of her letters to
Mother Barat, she mentions having engaged herself, by
vow, to the practice of the two resolutions of her retreat:
First. Never to delay doing what God asks. Second, To
make her spiritual exercises, her meditation, especially,
with scrupulous fidelity. " Yet," she adds, " my confessor
would not allow me to take this vow until I had fulfilled
its obligations for a considerable time."

One of the most prominent features of her spiritual char-
acter was her loving acceptance of the Divine Will. God
was the centre of her being, and the constant habit of turn-
ing her glance towards Him, by interior recollection, gave

373

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

a marked composure to all she said and did. " I am accus-
tomed to visit my elect in two manner of ways," says the
Imitation, " namely, by trial and by consolation." It was
difficult for an observer to distinguish under which form the
Divine Guest came to Mother Hardey. Her outward self-
possession was a reflection of the serenity which pervaded
her soul, and maintained there always the blessed peace
which St. Augustine defines as " the tranquillity of order."
If the Spouse came in trial, or desolation, He found peace,
He left peace, and the breath of this peace disseminated a
holy calm in the hearts of those around her. It used to be
remarked by the family of a former pupil of Manhattanville,
" Margaret must have seen Mother Hardey to-day, she is
so happy and peaceful."

Mother Hardey's devotion to the Blessed Virgin was
tender and practical. Born on the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception, baptized Mary in her honor, she had a child's
confidence in the Mother of God. We have seen in several
instances of her life how that confidence was rewarded. In
all her travels, by sea and land, she never met with an acci-
dent. This preservation she attributed to the recitation of
the Salve Regina, with which she always started on her
journey. The fifteen decades of the Rosary formed a part
of her daily devotions, and also the Office of our Lady
until she was unable to recite it. But she was always pres-
ent when the office was being chanted in choir, and she
paid the greatest attention to every detail of the rubrics.
She said the Stabat Mater as she lay down to rest, and the
Thirty Days Prayer was such a favorite devotion that she
knew it by heart. An ardent devotion to our Lady char-
acterized the community of Manhattanville, hence we find
in one of Father Gresselin's letters : " Oh, what an angelic
house you have to govern ; it is the favorite abode, the per-
fumed garden of the Queen of Heaven ! I know of no place
where a soul can enjoy greater peace and glorify God more
abundantly, than at Manhattanville."

374

CHARACTERISTIC VIRTUES

We do not pretend to attribute to Mother Hardey any
extraordinary favors or revelations, such as many of the
saints have enjoyed, but we find allusions to certain graces
in Father Gresselin's letters, which lead us to believe that
the Spirit of God manifested His love to His faithful servant
at times in an unusual manner. After pointing out to his
penitent in what way her life should be a continual holocaust
of love, her director adds : " This is what must result from
your interview with Our Lord in Cuba," and he goes on to
say : " There was later another interview in the same place.
The Heart of Mary also showed itself, and made you under-
stand that He has poured into her heart all the treasures of
charity, and that He wishes you to see and love only her
and what is offered by her. Never forget that you then
understood and received the full conviction, that you must
go to the Heart of Jesus, through the Heart of Mary. This
was a choice grace, and you must never let the memory of
it fade from your mind." And again he writes : " The grace
of December 8th is also a grace of the first order, it is not
extraordinary in the sense that God wills to give it to many
souls. It is not extraordinary in the kind of visions and
ecstacies, which are outside the ways of Providence. It is
extraordinary only because few persons find the way that
leads to it. With you, it was a recompense for your ardent
desires for the glorification of Mary."

One whose life is passed in close union with God is
not deluded by a false estimate of self. She recognizes her
gifts as the endowments of an infinite love, and her one de-
sire is to consecrate them to the service of the Divine Giver.
Success and praise may crown her toil, but she claims noth-
ing for herself. The word of the Psalmist rings in her
heart, " Not unto us, Lord, but unto Thy Name be glory ! "
Although her labors were followed by brilliant results, in
the words of the Rule, Mother Hardey referred all the glory
thereof faithfully to the Heart of Jesus, the source of every
good, and to the strength given by the Society, and the

375

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

goodness of the venerable foundress and her successors.
At the close of one of her annual retreats, she wrote to
Mother Barat : " What Our Lord asks of me above all, is
the generous practice of the third degree of humility, to be
despised, falsely accused, blamed and contemned, in order
to detach me from creatures, and His will is so clear to me
in this respect that I cannot find it difficult to accept."

The Secretary General once wrote her a rather severe
reprimand. In reply she says to Mother Barat : " Let this
dear Mother be assured of the pleasure she gives me in
being so frank. She could not render me greater service
than by telling me what I should do or should have done. It
seems to me that I desire to serve God and the Society, and
I am always happy to know in what I fail. Let her have
the goodness to continue her charity, she will always find
me grateful." Writing to Mother Barat in 1853, she says:
" How sweet it is to have a Mother to whom one can tell
everything. My greatest temptation for some months past
is to throw myself at your feet and conjure you to place
me where I will have no responsibility." On another occa-
sion she writes, " I thank you sincerely, my Very Reverend
Mother, for having told me the complaints you have heard.
I promise to correct what is true and to avoid what is not
true." Referring to a religious who had left the Society,
she says, " May I, at least, die in the Society ! After th<*
mercy of God, I feel that I shall owe this grace to the
patience of my first Mother."

Another form of humility is practical poverty. She
would never permit any useless articles either for herself
or the community. Her clothing was worn until no longer
fit for use. She would never permit any exceptions from
the established customs, and her observant eye was sure to
detect any innovation in regard to poverty. Yet she
watched with motherly solicitude over the needs of her
daughters and contrived to pass over to others what the
love of her children provided for herself. The religious

376

1 Kenwood

2 Chapel at Kenwood

CHARACTERISTIC VIRTUES

charged with the wardrobe was often in desolation over the
loss of flannels and warm shoes during the winter, and on
inquiry she would find members of the community wearing
the articles marked with Mother Hardey's number, the dear
Mother herself rejoicing in the privation of them. In her
conferences to the community Mother Hardey insisted upon
the love of poverty, as well as the practice of it, no matter
how great were the resources of the house. " Our obliga-
tions are the same," she said, " whether we are living in a
poor or in a rich house. Were the walls of the convent lined
with gold we could not be permitted more than the rule
allows." She did not like complaints to be made at recrea-
tion of heat or cold, food or lodging, and her own example
in this respect was an eloquent lesson.

We are told that the first foundation of any spiritual
work is a detached heart. Neither birth, fortune, talent or
genius can equal it in value. Even those who had only a
casual acquaintance with Mother Hardey were impressed
by her spirit of detachment. She could not understand how
a religious could put personal consideration before the
general good. An infirmarian having complained that the
infirmary was always occupied, she answered : " Sister, the
infirmary belongs to the sick, and while they are there God's
blessing is on the house. I would be uneasy if it were
vacant, and you ought to regret that you were out of em-
ployment. A doctor is never happier than when he is build-
ing up his practice, so should you rejoice in the number of
your patients." We have seen how Mother Hardey offered
herself for the mission in Chile, thinking that she was an-
ticipating the wishes of the Mother General. How heroic
her sacrifice in leaving her field of labor in America at the
voice of obedience ! And with what simplicity it was made !
Not a word of regret, nor the slightest indication of the
heart suffering which she endured at the prospect of the
bitter separation from all that was dearest here below.

" After the news of her nomination as Assistant General

377

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

had reached America," writes her secretary, " she received
heart-rending letters from all our houses. One day she found
me bathed in tears whilst reading them. Looking at me
thoughtfully, she said : ' Sister, when we make a sacrifice,
let us make it/ and then she left the room. One of the
Mothers, shortly after our arrival, remarked how much Rev-
erend Mother must miss America, ' This is my America/
she answered, pointing to her little room, and no further
reference to her feelings was possible."

Mother Hardey was very chary of her words, and she
had few idle ones to answer for when her book of life was
closed. Once when speaking to one of her daughters of the
value of silence she said : " Every morning I confide the
care of my tongue to St. Joseph. The Gospel does not men-
tion a single word of his." On being asked the formula of
her prayer, she answered very simply : " Dear St. Joseph to
you I consecrate my tongue, teach me how to speak little,
and that little prudently."

Mother Hardey's judgments were quickly formed, but
her self-control prevented her from acting on the impulse
of the moment. She always took time for reflection and
prayer. One who lived intimately with her for many years
tells us : " It was remarkable how she could solve in a
few words the most intricate matters, foresee and settle
disputed points of business, map out a line of action, etc.
Her language though simple was choice. She never made
use of common-place expressions, exaggerated or compli-
mentary phrases; never talked of what she had done or
was going to do. One rarely ever heard her say, ' I/ it was
always ' we/ when she expressed a wish or referred to any
subject under discussion. I have seen her on many occa-
sions when her silence was carried to a heroic degree. Of
disappointments, annoyances, misrepresentations, there was
no stint, but she bore all with unvarying silence. She be-
lieved that to talk of one's sufferings marred their beauty
in the sight of God."

378

CHARACTERISTIC VIRTUES

A long continued exercise of authority often diminishes
the spirit of dependence upon the higher powers, but it was
not so with Mother Hardey. Though called at an early age
to share in the government of the Society, she always kept
the attitude of one who leaned upon a higher authority.
Mother Barat once said : " Before giving an order, or
intimating a desire to Mother Hardey, I must weigh the
matter thoroughly, for it will be immediately executed."
Mother Hardey exacted this dependence upon authority,
even to the lowest officer in the house. " Do not look at the
individual who commands," she would say, " her qualities
do not affect her orders. The soldier on the battle field does
not stop to consider whether his superior officer is pleasing
to him, he simply obeys."

Explaining this virtue in one of her instructions to her
probationists, she says : " You know the Constitutions of the
Society. You have promised obedience to our Mother Gen-
eral, but as she cannot direct personally all the houses, she
has confided to others a part of her authority; in disobey-
ing them you disobey her, in criticising their orders you are
criticising hers. Not only do you disobey the Mother Gen-
eral, but you disobey God Himself, for He says in the Scrip-
ture : ' He that hears you hears Me.' Obedience is the char-
acteristic trait of the Society. Our Holy Father the Pope
has given us a magnificent testimony of it. A Carmelite,
having asked to be released from her vows, in order
that she might enter the Society of the Sacred Heart, His
Holiness answered that he would do so most willingly, for
if among the Religious of the Sacred Heart there was less
corporal austerities than at Carmel, nevertheless he con-
sidered the Institute of the Sacred Heart more perfect on
account of the high degree to which it carries the virtue of
obedience."

On one occasion a mistress at Manhattanville had under-
taken to teach a dialogue to the children, without having
asked permission of the Mistress General. Mother Hardey

379

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

learned of the affair, but said nothing. When the play was
ready for presentation, the religious came to invite her su-
perior to assist at the evening entertainment. Mother Har-
dey looked at her very seriously and said : " Sister, you have
been doing your own will in getting up this entertainment,
therefore it has not the blessing of obedience. Any of the
community who wish may attend, but I will remain at the
recreation." Pleadings and excuses were of no avail, for
she was determined to give her daughter a lesson in sub-
mission to authority.

Nothing was easier than to acknowledge a fault to
Mother Hardey. It was at once forgiven and forgotten.
Her reprimands were sometimes sharp, even severe, but
they never left a sting in the heart, and the culprit could not
but acknowledge that the justice administered was always
tempered with maternal goodness. One day a religious
showed unwillingness to go to the school. Mother Hardey
reminded her of her Fourth Vow, and then added : " If
through your own fault you are not employed with the chil-
dren you will have to answer for it before the judgment
seat of God."

Her advice to superiors was to be very patient and pains-
taking in the training of the young Mistresses: "Do not
change their occupations because they have not succeeded.
It is by failure that they will gain experience. Keep up
their spirits. There is nothing so depressing as to be con-
sidered incapable and useless from the very start. Guide,
encourage and support them in their authority. God does
not require what is best, but only what is according to
obedience. When she is carefully trained a young religious
of ordinary ability can be made to do wonders, but left to
herself the most brilliant teacher will wander from the line
of duty."

In her intimate relations with her daughters, Mother
Hardey's words were brief and to the point. One who
complained of being greatly disturbed by thoughts of vain

380

CHARACTERISTIC VIRTUES

glory received this advice : " Think of God and not of your-
self." " You have disappointed us," she once remarked to a
young Mistress General, who asserted her authority too
plainly. That reproach from her was more effectual than
a long lecture from another. She never liked to hear diffi-
culties magnified, nor efforts discouraged. " A fault," she
said, " can be repaired by another trial, and failure cancelled
by future success."

A beautiful feature of her relations with her daughters
was the confidence which she placed in them. Whatever
might be the result of their labors, they knew that their
earnest efforts would meet with her commendation. She
was as much interested in the humblest offices of the house
as in the most conspicuous. The Sisters knew well that
whatever need was made known to her would be promptly
supplied, hence the joy with which her visits were welcomed
at their various employments.

Mother Hardey's love for common life made her very
guarded in countenancing singular and extraordinary prac-
tices of devotion. " Our perfection," she used to say, " is to
be found in the observance of the Rule and not outside of it.
You will find in the faithful accomplishment of Rule all the
mortification you can desire. The mortifications which our
Lord sends us are more meritorious than those of our own
choosing." Again and again she reminded her daughters
that if the austerities of contemplative Orders were not
enjoined on them, they must nevertheless lead mortified
lives by the practice of habitual self-abnegation and scrupu-
lous fidelity to the customary corporal penances which obe-
dience sanctioned. " Delicate health," she used to say, " is
no excuse for neglecting our little mortifications at the
stated times."

A passing indisposition did not escape her vigilant eye, but
she had the faculty of watching over the health of her daugh-
ters without rendering them anxious or self-occupied. " It
often requires more abnegation to take care of our health,"

381

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

she said, " than to neglect it. No one ever lost her health by
being faithful to Rule, and the fewer dispensations we accept
the better our health will be. When you are obliged to
give up some point of common life give yourself no ease
until you can return to it. No exception from common life
should last longer than a month, unless one is in really bad
health, and even then from time to time we should manage
to do without it."

On one occasion, when suffering from a severe cold,
Mother Hardey was advised to retire early. She came as
usual to night prayers, and as the Mother Assistant was
surprised, she said: "A half an hour sooner in bed is a
small gain, but a dispensation from Rule is a great loss ! "
We have seen how Mother Hardey's instructions to her
daughters reflected her own mind and character. A great
truth on her lips seemed to have a deeper meaning, because
of the simplicity and earnestness with which it was pre-
sented. It was, however, her life that gave force to her
words. Her example preceded her exhortations, hence it
was easy to obey them.

It has been truly said of her : " Wherever she has lived
there are grateful hearts made happy by her kindness, pure
hearts sheltered by her protection, wayward hearts turned
heavenward by her guidance, doubting hearts enlightened
by her counsels, wounded hearts soothed by her sympathy,
proud hearts subdued by her motherly interest, and hearts
on the brink of ruin rescued by her zeal and triumphantly
laid at the feet of the Good Master, with whose love her own
heart was consumed."

382

CHAPTER XXX.

LAST DAYS AND DEATH OF MOTHER HARDEY — TEMPORARY

TOMB AT CONFLANS FlNAL INTERMENT AT

KENWOOD— 1884-1886.

God blessed the admirable obedience of Mother Hardey ;
although greatly fatigued on arriving in Paris, after a
few days, she was able to take part in the deliberations of
the General Council. At its close to her functions of Assist-
ant General were added the 'duties of local Superior of the
Mother House.

A letter from Mother Jones at this period says : " Our
dear Mother is much improved, and is always serene and
cheerful. I have not lost hope of her return to America,
where her presence is so much needed, but she cannot go
with us now, as she must remain here to give her deposition
for the cause of our venerable Mother, and that cannot be
done at present. Besides Reverend Mother needs a rest be-
fore traveling again." Notwithstanding the hope expressed
in this letter, the American vicars parted from Mother Har-
dey with sorrowful hearts, for they felt that her travels were
soon to end in the haven of eternal rest.

Her energy set aside the claims of age and infirmity, and
she resumed her duties with her accustomed devotedness.
In proportion as she was nearing the term of her exile, she
seemed to grow more and more in the spirit of prayer and
absorption in God. " One day," relates a Sister, " we were
speaking to her of a very beautiful chasuble which the priest
wore at Mass. Without intending it as a reproof she said,
with surprise, ' Sisters, did you look at the vestments? For
my part I acknowledge that I never notice the priests, nor
the vestments. How can one be occupied with creatures in
the presence of the Creator.' "

She was sent by the Mother General to make the visits

383

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

of the houses of Besangon and St. Ferreol, in the month of
September, 1884. One of the religious gives a glowing ac-
count of her visit : " Our Reverend Mother Assistant Gen-
eral arrived at the close of our annual retreat. Without
taking any time to rest, she devoted herself to the duties of
her charge, and at once all hearts were attracted to her. She
came to Besangon the day of the opening of the school. Our
pupils always return in gay spirits, but in 1884, the presence
of an Assistant General made the first week of October a
very delightful family feast. Won by her kindness and im-
pressed by her energetic and persuasive words, our dear
children saw in a new light the value of the education they
were receiving, and the necessity of conquering themselves,
through love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I can say with
truth that the blessing of God rested upon the school in a
marked way during that year. In listening to her account
of the foundations in America, the community were remind-
ed of the history of St. Teresa's foundations, and each one
felt irresistibly drawn to a more generous love, and a more
ardent zeal for the extension of the reign of the Heart of
Jesus. The eve of her departure she gave us a never-to-be
forgotten conference on the apparitions of Our Lord to
Blessed Margaret Mary, and His touching complaints of the
coldness and ingratitude of souls consecrated to Him.

" May I venture to speak of the charity with which she
undertook the task of enlightening and guiding me in my
charge of superior? At every free moment she sent for me,
greeting me with the words, ' Come and I will give you
your catechism lesson.' Then began the delightful inter-
views. It was the Rule she taught me, the Rule to which
all must be referred, the Rule which she showed me how to
consult in all my difficulties, the Rule, above all, which she
made me love. It is with profound gratitude that I recall
her advice, her decisions and her encouragements, which
bore the stamp of so just, so large and so religious a spirit."

It was thus that Mother Hardey went about doing good.

384

LAST DAYS AND DEATH

She did not forget the material welfare of the house she
visited. She often expressed regret that the house of
Besangon could not be enlarged, and her memory is still in
benediction at St. Ferreol for a staircase which they owe to
her. She herself was much consoled and edified by these two
families. She loved to mention the promptitude of the obe-
dience of the good Sisters of Besangon, to whom she made a
little remark about the way they wore their caps. An hour
after they returned to show her how they had rectified the
little irregularity.

On the 9th of November she returned to Paris. She was
not well during the winter, but in the spring she was able
to help Mother Lehon in her regular visit at the rue de
Varennes. A little later she went to Nancy for the dedica-
tion of the new church. " I come to represent our Mother
General," she said ; " I am here only in her name." These
were days of happiness, we are told, and of holy lessons and
examples. She gave herself to each one with maternal in-
terest, never showing the least fatigue or weariness. The
pupils were charmed with her interesting accounts of
America, and the community were far from suspecting that
this was to be her last active work in the service of the
Society she loved so well.

When a soul draws near to her last end, when for years
she has fought the good fight, God ordinarily multiplies
her trials before giving her the crown. In the various cir-
cumstances of Mother Hardey's life, we have seen her a
living model of the rules of her Institute, whether in the
active labors of government or the silent apostleship of in-
terior life. She is now to give a last example of their spirit
in her loving acceptance of the divine will during a year of
inaction and suffering, when her bed was truly for her the
altar of sacrifice, where in union with her Divine Spouse
she " drank the chalice even to the dregs." In the month
of April, 1885, she sustained a great shock in the death of
Reverend Mother Cahier, one of the Assistants General, to

25 385

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

whom she was devotedly attached. This Reverend Mother
had been Mother Barat's secretary for over twenty years,
therefore a close intimacy had united her to Mother Hardey.
Death came so promptly to Mother Cahier that Mother
Hardey seemed to be stunned by the blow.

From that time her health perceptibly declined. Hoping
to prolong her life by a temporary change, Mother Lehon
thought of sending her once more across the Atlantic, but
abandoned the project after a medical consultation declared
that the invalid was unable to make the voyage. She then
decided to send her to a convent near the sea. In the last
days of July Mother Hardey left for Calais. Unfortunately,
on reaching the station, she was thrown forward by the
sudden motion of the car, and her heart sustained a shock
which threatened to end fatally. Prompt remedies averted
the danger, and after a few days of rest she was able to
assist at Mass and receive Holy Communion. On the 8th
of August, as she was returning from the Holy Table, she
was seen to stagger, but her presence of mind did not fail
her, and she clung for support until a chair was brought to
her. Restoratives were promptly administered and warded
off an impending stroke of paralysis. During the day her
condition became still more alarming.

A telegram was sent to Reverend Mother Lehon, who
answered that she would arrive at midnight. As the danger
increased towards evening, it was thought prudent to ad-
minister the Last Sacraments. When consulted, Mother
Hardey replied : " As our Mother is coming we must wait
for her to decide what she thinks best." Then, as always,
Mother Hardey was the child of obedience. The meeting
of the two Mothers was touching, and a favorable reaction
took place, which Mother Lehon attributed to the prayers
offered in both the old and the new world, as she had tele-
graphed the threatened danger to all the convents in the
Society. These prayers were to obtain a prolongation of
life, but they could not detain much longer on earth her

386

LAST DAYS AND DEATH

whose crown needed only completion by a state of inaction,
united to suffering. The administration of the Sacraments
took place the next morning. During this ceremony Mother
Hardey begged pardon for all the faults of her life, enumer-
ating them with so much compunction that those pres-
ent were moved to tears. Mother Lehon was obliged to tell
her to cease her accusations, which were the outpouring of
a soul steeped in self-abasement and filled with the desire
of repairing what she termed the voids of her life. Far
different were the thoughts of those who witnessed the
sacred unction being applied to the senses of that body
which had served its Creator from the days of its youth.

The malady, without making much progress, did not
yield to treatment and the doctor gave slight hope of im-
provement, as the organs of the heart were absolutely worn
out. Cables were sent almost daily to Reverend Mother
Jones, so that Mother Hardey's daughters might be kept
informed of her condition. Needless to say that it was a
consolation for them to unite in prayer and loving sympathy
with those who were lavishing their tender care upon the
dear invalid. Near that bedside were witnessed touching
scenes of self-denial and obedience. When breathing seemed
very difficult for Mother Hardey, on account of her position
in the bed, one of the Mothers offered to help her to turn
on the other side. " Oh, no," said the obedient invalid,
" the doctor told me I must not move." When the physician
was told of her reply, he said, " Madame is so obedient, I
must weigh well my words."

Another time the same religious came to speak to her,
but the invalid, with an effort, kept her eyes closed, saying:
" Our Very Reverend Mother told me I must sleep." As
the autumn approached it was deemed prudent to remove
Mother Hardey from Calais as the temperature would be too
severe for her. She was taken to Paris on the I7th of Sep-
tember, without any bad results, owing to the precautions
taken and conveniences provided. Once more at home, her

387

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

physician tried all the resources of science to counteract the
progress of the disease. She gradually grew stronger, but
was unable to use her limbs. By means of a rolling chair
she was able to go to the chapel and the community room.
Her voice regained its wonted cheerfulness, her countenance
lighted up with the grace of sympathy and kindness. She
resumed her correspondence, and directed letters of counsel
and encouragement to many of her daughters across the
seas.

But the improvement in her condition was only passing,
the perfection of her grand soul was to be completed by an
antithesis to all her past, that of prolonged solitude and in-
action. Who that ever knew the strength of will, the ardor
for labor, the desire to follow the common life, which ani-
mated Mother Hardey, can fail to realize that her helpless
state was truly an altar of sacrifice. Yet the vigor of her
soul seemed at times independent of the feebleness of her
body. She continued to take interest in all that regarded
the Church, the Society, individual souls who applied to her
for advice. Her room was frequently the happy meeting
place of the American probationists, and their reunions w*»re
brightened by that gracious smile which made them forget
her state of suffering. Her one thought was to give pleas-
ure to others.

As soon as she received any gift she sent for others to
admire it, then offered it, if suitable, for the poor. Her con-
solation was the visits of the Mother General, who sought
every opportunity of cheering and benefiting the dear in-
valid in every way. Writing to one of the American su-
periors, on May 21, 1886, Mother Lehon says: "Our dear
Reverend Mother Hardey grows daily in holiness. You can
easily understand how her active mind and burning zeal
must feel her powerlessness to act. Her patience and obe-
dience are admirable. Her head and her heart do not share
her physical weakness, she enters with lively interest into
all that concerns the Society."

388

LAST DAYS AND DEATH

The blessing of Leo XIII was a favor much appreciated
by Mother Hardey, for with her strong faith, she recog-
nized in this grace a fresh aid to reach in safety the term
whither she was hastening. When it became evident that
she could not long survive, Mother Lehon summoned
Mothers Jones and Hoey to Paris. The prospect of seeing
her dear daughters gave great joy to the invalid, and as
she seemed somewhat better, Mother Lehon left for Brus-
sels on the 3ist of May, expecting to be absent about twelve
days. A crisis occurred on the Qth of June. The doctor dis-
covere'd the formation of an embolus which caused him to
declare : " All is over, death is inevitable." He could only
give hope of prolonging her life until the arrival of Mother
Lehon, who started for Paris as soon as the summons
reached her.

Mother Hardey was calm and fully conscious of her
state. Recalling the date fixed for the return of the Mother
General, she sorrowfully repeated, " Two days yet ; two
days yet ! " But Mother Lehon was already on the way to
Paris, and at ten p. m. she reached the Mother House. She
went at once to Mother Hardey, who greeted her with the
words, "O Mother, all is over!" In her account of this
interview Mother Lehon wrote : " We spoke together of
God; nothing troubled her soul then, nor until the end.
This calmness and confidence sufficed to prove the admir-
able rectitude with which our good Mother had always acted
during her long government of over fifty years. On Penta-
cost Sunday, before receiving Holy Communion, she said,
with unutterable tenderness, ' This will be my last.' Our
Lord was, however, to visit her again on Tuesday. Al-
though much weakened by her great suffering, a word
about God brought her to herself, and when reminded on
Wednesday that she could yet gain the Indulgence of the
Jubilee her countenance became radiant with happiness.

" Her Jubilee was made and Extreme Unction ad-
ministered, with the last indulgence. To complete the em-

389

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

bellishment of her crown, Our Lord demanded a sacrifice
which was keenly felt by her sensitive heart, the extent of
which can only be measured by recalling her joy when told
that Mother Jones had embarked on the I2th of June for
France. How many times she counted the days of the voy-
age, until feeling that death was at hand, she exclaimed, ' I
shall never see her again ! ' Then she offered the disappoint-
ment to God, and made no further reference to her sacrifice.
Thursday morning, the i/th, her sufferings were to end.
Our chaplain renewed the last indulgence, after which she
entered into a peaceful agony. Our Reverend Mothers As-
sistants General and the community surrounded her, recit-
ing the prayers for the departing soul, when a gentle sigh
announced the end at 8 130 A. M. I have rarely seen upon
a deathbed a countenance so radiant, so smiling, so beauti-
ful, we were never tired of contemplating her."

Multiplied testimonies of regret proved the veneration in
which Mother Hardey was held. Her devoted friend, the
Duchess of Pastrana had hastened from Madrid, hoping to
see her. She arrived too late, alas! but she came to weep
by her funeral couch, which she adorned with a magnificent
crown. Many other floral tributes, the offerings of grateful
friends, embellished her modest catafalque.

An American probationist writes of her night watch
beside the precious remains : " I could never tell you of the
holy joy of those two blessed hours. I could not take my
eyes from de.ar Reverend Mother's face so radiant with
heavenly light and peace, that it is imprinted forever on my
memory. Friday morning, at 6:30 our Mother General
entered the room, with her arms full of pure white roses
which she placed one by one around the form of our dear
Mother. She stood gazing upon her, as if wrapt in con-
templation, then, turning to us, said : ' How beautiful she
is ! It seems that Our Lord wishes to give us a visible sign
of her beatitude.'

" During the day the chamber of death was filled with

390

LAST DAYS AND DEATH

Reverend Mother's friends, as also many pupils from the
Rue de Varennes, and the day school where she was so
much loved. That evening the body was transferred to the
chapel of Mater Admirabilis. Saturday requiem Mass was
celebrated at 8 130 by her confessor, Father le Chanoine de
1'Escaille, and Monseigneur Pelge gave the last absolution.
There were present a number of priests and representatives
of various religious orders, among them, Brother Patrick,
Assistant General of the Christian Brothers, who had
known her in America. The side chapels were filled with
devoted friends. Just before the Mass began, eight pupils
from the Rue de Varennes placed upon the coffin a hand-
some metal cross, ornamented with a spray of white flowers
of fine porcelain, a memento to remain fadeless forever.
After Mass the funeral cortege formed and proceeded to
Conflans, where the community and novices, all holding
lighted candles, awaited us. When the coffin was placed on
the catafalque before the altar, we recited Lauds, the last
Benediction was renewed and the procession filed down the
grand staircase into the crypt, where our loved Mother was
laid to rest. Oh ! it was sad, sweet and solemn, surpassing
all description."

The place of Mother Hardey's repose is marked by a
marble slab on which is inscribed the following epitaph :

Pax Et Quies In Christo

Marias Aloisiae Hardey

Virgini A Corde Jesu

Cujus Consilio Prudentia Virtute

Societas Nostra

Late Per America; Regiones

Collegia Instituendis Puellis Reclusit

Eaque Studiis Optimis Custodia Legum

Pietate Floruerunt

Lcetitiae Praemium Laborum

Assecuta Est

391

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

XV. Kal Quintiles A. MDCCCLXXXVI

AN. N. LXXVI M. VI
Cum Annos LX Menses X.

In Coetu Nostro

Egregie De Re Catholica

Meruisset.

Of which this is a translation:

Peace and Rest in Christ

To Mary Aloysia Hardey

Virgin, according to the Heart of Jesus,

Through whose Counsel, Prudence, Valor

Our Society
Established in many Countries of America,

For the Education of Girls
Academies in which Learning, Discipline, Piety

Have flourished.

She attained to Joy as the Reward of Her Labors

On the Seventeenth Day of June of the year 1886

At the age of 76 years and 6 months

In our Congregation Militant

60 years and 10 months
She merited exceedingly of the whole Catholic World.

Mother Lehon, on her return from Conflans, after
having seen Mother Hardey's remains laid to rest beside
those of Mother Goetz and the Assistants General who had
been interred in the crypt, addressed to her American
families, a letter expressing her heartfelt condolence in their
great sorrow. " Your letters of these last months," she
wrote, " reveal how fully you share the grief which Mother
Hardey's death has caused us. She was indeed, one of the
strong pillars of the Society, especially in America, where
she developed and multiplied the seed sown by the saintly
Mother Duchesne. In her life she reproduced the virtues of
those who founded your Mission, as her works sufficiently
prove, but this is not the place to dwell upon them, for later,

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LAST DAYS AND DEATH

they will be recounted in detail. I wish here only to recall
her generous, upright character, her devotedness to the in-
terests of the Sacred Heart, her submission to the voice of
obedience.

" The ablest physicians were unanimous in saying that
the principal vital organs in Mother Hardey were worn out,
and we might add, they were worn out in the service of the
Divine Master. What shall I say of the time when she was
confined to her bed, incapable of the slightest movement
without assistance, and of her last days when acute suffer-
ings sometimes drew from her a groan, but never a
murmur? She was always self-possessed, abandoned like a
child to the will of God, now hoping to live that she might
yet labor, then renouncing the desire with perfect tran-
quillity of soul. These alterations never disturbed her in-
terior peace. Two thoughts full of instruction for us will
be forever associated with her memory, a tender, practical
devotion to the Heart of Jesus, and a constant fidelity to
our holy Rules. Let us follow her example, my dear sisters,
and thus become more faithful to our high vocation."

Mother Hardey had made a wide acquaintance in
France, hence, when her death was known, numerous tes-
timonials of respect to her memory were received at the
Mother House. Bishop Fallieres of St. Brieux wrote:
" The telegram announcing the death of the venerable
Mother Hardey did not surprise, though it grieved us
deeply. I understand how painful must be the loss of an
Assistant General, who represented near you those Ameri-
can families so dear to your heart. I recall with what in-
tense joy, the holy Mother Goetz announced to me the ap-
proaching arrival of Mother Hardey in France, and the
hopes which she founded on her permanent sojourn in Paris,
for the progress and union of the Society. The ' Grand
American ' has fulfilled her mission by forming an inde-
structible link between the Society of the Sacred Heart in
Europe and its members in the New World. It is not sur-

393

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

prising that the Holy Spirit should have wished to crown
His faithful Spouse. From the height of Heaven, she will
continue the prayer : ' May they be one, as we also are
one!'"

Monseigneur Baunard, the historian of Mother Barat,
who esteemed Mother Hardey very highly, wrote of her
in the following terms to Mother Lehon : " I heard this
morning of the death of Mother Hardey, whom God has
called to Himself after a long career of good works, under-
taken for His glory. I have been filled with admiration for
the courage of that grand religious who was one of the
props of your Society in North America. I have known at
the same time her attachment to the Centre of Authority
and her solicitude for the unity of a work in which she was
one of the principal laborers for over fifty years. She will
be mourned in both hemispheres. As to herself, I esteem
her happy in having been called to rejoin her spiritual
ancestors, Mother Barat and Mother Duchesne, of whom
she was most worthy. Another column has fallen, but only
to be transferred to the temple which your Society is
erecting to the Sacret Heart in the Heavenly Jerusalem. In
thought and prayer I kneel at her tomb to deposit my tribute
of gratitude towards her whose kindness to me will never
be forgotten."

We shall not attempt to describe the grief of Mother
Hardey's American daughters, when a cable from the
Mother General bearing the words : " The sacrifice is con-
summated," announced the news of their great loss. In all
the convents, outward signs of mourning bespoke the sor-
row of loving hearts. Solemn requiem Masses were
celebrated, and friends and former pupils united their
prayers with those of the religious for the venerated de-
ceased. The school year was drawing to a close. At the
commencements, there were an absence of decorations save
here and there symbolic designs of immortelles. An under-
tone of sadness was heard in the closing exercises, a note

394

LAST DAYS AND DEATH

breathing at once the sorrow of separation, the joy of meet-
ing before the throne of God. At Manhattanville, a pane-
gyric written by the chaplain, Rev. Dr. Callaghan, was read
by one of the pupils, Miss Ultima Smith, the daughter of a
former pupil, whose name figures in these pages, as a model
child of the Society of the Sacred Heart.

The press far and wide published the news of Mother
Hardey's death, describing her as a woman gracious in
mien, noble in character, and especially fitted for the great
deeds which marked her career. Innumerable letters from
ecclesiastics and laity were received, expressing sympathy
for the Religious of the Sacret Heart, and admiration and re-
gret for the deceased. The same thought prevails through-
out, that Mother Hardey is entitled by her virtues and her
works to an honored place in the ecclesiastical annals of
America.

Very Rev. Robert Fulton, S. J., Provincial of the
Jesuits, wrote to the Superior of Manhattanville : " I have
often said that Madame Hardey will hold the first place
of American women in our Church history. Besides her
material and visible achievements, what is most striking
about her, is the extraordinary affection she inspired in the
members of her community. This is entirely beyond par-
allel. In those achievements, how much labor involved !
How prolific the results! In that universal, I had almost
said passionate, affection, what a proof of rare qualities in
her to attract it. Mother Hardey's life will be the history
of your community. I sympathize with you in some
respects, though you have no right to grieve that she is
happy. Your interests are furthered by her death, as she
is now more powerful to aid. Erect in your own characters
a monument to her glory."

Father Fulton's words have been in some measure real-
ized. The life of Mother Hardey is in great part the history
of the Society of the Sacred Heart in North America. She
is now with God and her works follow her, clothed in the

395

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

sanctity of the Heart she so tenderly loved and the vitality
of the Institute she so faithfully served. May her spirit rest
upon those called to continue her mission of generosity,
self-sacrifice and devotedness, in laboring- for the salvation
of souls and for the honor and glory of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus !

Mother Hardey's body had rested in the crypt at Conflans
for nearly twenty years, when the expulsion of the religious
orders from France and the confiscation of their property,
made it necessary to remove the precious remains in 1905
to a place of safety. The Very Reverend Mother General
Digby decided that her American daughters should have the
consolation of possessing all that was mortal of their
beloved Mother. In the designs of God, the Mother Gen-
eral was carrying out the original plan of Mother Lehon at
the time of Mother Hardey's death. Thinking that
Mother Jones would claim the privilege of bringing back to
America the body of the Mother whom she was not to find
alive on her arrival in France, Mother Lehon had Mother
Hardey's body embalmed and her coffin encased in a metal-
lic casket, ready for transportation. Its temporary resting
place was left unsealed pending the decision. Mothers
Jones and Hoey had reached Paris on the evening of June
21, 1886, unconscious of the sorrow awaiting them. Al-
though every effort had been made to prepare them by
letters, it was God's will that they should hear of their
loss from the lips of Mother Lehon in the words, " I am
now doubly your Mother ! " On learning that Mother Har-
dey had said that she wished to remain where she died,
Mother Jones would not act against that desire, so, in death,
as in life, Mother Hardey continued to be the great bond of
union between America and France until an All Wise Provi-
dence decreed she should have her last resting place on
American soil, and for the twentieth time that body, which

396

LAST DAYS AND DEATH

had worn itself out in the service of God, crossed the At-
lantic.

While preparations were being made for the final inter-
ment at Kenwood, the sacred deposit was placed in the re-
ceiving vault at Manhattanville. It rested there for nearly
six months, until the time came for its removal. The re-
ligious made grateful, loving pilgrimages around the en-
closure, their hearts filled with new emotions of filial rever-
ence, and faithful recollections of the Mother whose name
will ever be associated with that of Manhattanville.

On the I2th of December, 1905, the casket was laid be-
fore the altar and solemn Mass celebrated in the chapel she
had erected, and whose solid walls had withstood the fiery
flames of the conflagration of 1888. After the ceremonies
were over, the coffin was taken to Kenwood. Right Rev-
erend Bishop Burke went to the Albany depot to meet the
hearse, and follow it in his carriage to the convent. Rev-
erend Mothers Mahony and Tomassini, who had accom-
panied the remains from Manhattanville occupied the second
carriage of the funeral cortege. In the convent chapel the
remains rested in the hermetically sealed casket, on a
catafalque, with dimly burning tapers and sombre drapery,
in striking contrast with the bright surroundings and joyful
hearts, with which her daughters welcomed their treasure.
Bishop Burke, assisted by a number of the clergy performed
the Absolution ceremonies. In a few simple, touching
words he spoke of his happiness in honoring the memory of
one whose memory he would wish to perpetuate forever.
" The name of Mother Hardey," he said, " has been a
talisman to the countless numbers whose privilege it was to
learn lessons of wisdom from her lips, and holiness from
her noble, saintly and heroic life. Her influential and at-
tractive personality led many souls to God; her efficient
common sense was a potent factor in her intercourse with
all classes, her vigorous vitality was displayed in many far
reaching practical effects. Her prime characteristic was

397

MARY ALOYSIA HARDEY

strength of will, and, as gentleness is the result of strength,
hers was a singularly tender nature. To Mother Hardey
wa

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